Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Karla’s fists were clenched so tightly that her veins stood out like cords. That lunatic Landon was raping his wife.
Then, Karla lifted her head and saw at the end of the corridor, a slender figure standing there. Just as a flash of lightning streaked through, in the darkness, Rowan stood completely still.
He had heard it all.
Karla’s eyes darkened for a moment before she sprinted forward, scooping him up and racing back to the room.
As soon as she closed the door behind them, Karla set him down and covered his ears. Throughout it all, Rowan’s face was devoid of any expression, his eyes hollow.
Karla fixed him with a resolute look, “Listen to me, Rowan. Everyone makes their own choices, and everyone has to pay the price for them. Life is the same way. That’s their life, not yours, so don’t overthink it. A lot of things aren’t for you to know right now.”
Rowan remained unresponsive, so Karla just held him tightly, gently patting his back, “Don’t be scared, I’m here. I’ll stay with you.”
“Will you really stay with me forever?” Rowan suddenly spoke.
Karla hesitated, unsure of what to say, but she could only offer him this promise. Sher nodded, “Yeah, I will.”
Rowan fell asleep holding Karla’s hand, and as she watched the child’s furrowed brow even in sleep, she sighed. What was she going to do with him? If she left, could he take care of himself?
Karla didn’t sleep all night. By 7:30 a.m., she heard the sound of a sports car engine firing up. She went to the window and saw Landon driving away.
Rowan woke up a bit late today, around 8 a.m., but he insisted on his daily run. His discipline was a relief to Karla. Who wouldn’t appreciate such a diligent apprentice?
While he was out running, Karla stretched languidly, thinking of catching a quick nap, but then she heard footsteps approaching.
With a wary glance toward the door, she made a split–second decision to hide in the closet. The moment she slipped into the closet, the door swung open. Peering through the slits, Karla saw a woman in a nightgown with disheveled hair stagger in. It was Joana, covered in bruises and cuts, with a trickle of blood at the corner of her mouth.
Joana stumbled in, her face contorted with rage as if she was looking for someone. Finding no one, she vented her fury on the objects around, flinging books off the shelf and screaming hysterically. Then, clutching a paring knife, she pounced on Rowan’s bed and began slashing the pillow as if it were a living person.
19:08
Though Karle ending wher to our son
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and feel is a wine
Joane Tented and Kalfs caught her, them for her up by the wale dogs won lighter dur karte had expected, quite slender. To prevent town from wing the song wher he entures, Karle camed Joins back to her room
Entering loanse room we like eepping into a horror news twee shelly freshed wit bloodstained, dishevelled beddings are endle only imagine when mens hat wundused the previous night
Kerle silently cursed Landon the found clear tune in the wardrobe and despite the bar of being discovered, she made doene comfortable before returning to dojazdu,
Kare managed to tidy up befon Rowan retumed keeping turn oflrious to what het transpired There wasn’t much Karia could do but she die what wou in proses fun to spare hie childhood from more dank memonet