Page 54 of Maddening Fixation

My own voice sounded rougher than I’d intended.

“I’m here.”

I rested my forehead gently against hers.

“No one will ever take you away from me again.”

The words were quiet and absolute.

“I swear it on every scar they carved into my body. I swear it on every night I survived thinking of you.”

I swallowed hard.

Neither of us noticed the silence surrounding us until Bodgan cleared his throat respectfully.

“Boss.”

His deep voice gently pulled us back to the present.

Reluctantly, I loosened my embrace.

Yarina remained close, unwilling to step far from my side.

Neither was I.

Before releasing her completely, I squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“I’m here now.”

I offered her a small nod. Only then did I turn toward Bodgan.

He approached with measured steps, holding an aged parchment sealed with dark red wax.

Its edges had yellowed with time.

The Flynn family crest was pressed into the broken seal.

I accepted the document carefully.

For reasons I couldn’t explain...

My hands suddenly felt heavier than they had while holding a gun.

Breaking the brittle wax, I unfolded the neatly preserved pages.

Immediately, I recognized the elegant handwriting.

My grandmother’s.

The sight alone tightened my throat.

I began reading.

With every line...

The ground beneath my feet seemed to shift.

The truth unfolded piece by piece.