AVA'S POV
The road curled like a question mark, winding through the hills that framed the outskirts of Waverly, far from the polished streets of the Kingsley Estate. The kind of place my father would never step foot in, too raw, too quiet, too unfiltered.
Exactly what I needed.
I hadn't been back here in years. Not since the funeral.
The old brick house came into view slowly, weathered by time but still standing, like it refused to let go, even after everything. I swallowed hard. My mother's family had kept it empty after she died, sealed up like a memory no one wanted to touch.
But I was ready now.
I needed to know who she was before the silence. Before Kingsley. Before him.
Ethan pulled the car to a stop. "You're sure this is it?"
I nodded. "She used to bring me here when I was small. Before the world told her to stop."
We stepped out together. The wind carried the scent of rain and old leaves. The kind of scent that felt like memory.
