They had arrived.
This is her second visit to the house, and Evelyn felt the tension just as strongly as before.
The kind of tension that made her want to turn around, sprint down the driveway, and pretend she had never been here at all.
Axel squeezed her hand gently, a silent reminder that she was not walking into this alone.
"Don't be nervous..."
"I'm not," she lies, her heart tight in her chest.
Liam stepped out and opened the door.
Evelyn drew in a slow breath and tried to hold herself gracefully.
Still, her heart was pounding, as if it had its own thoughts and refused to cooperate.
A small crowd waited by the entrance.
Some familiar faces from the funeral. Some new. All of them were polite on the surface, yet their eyes scanned her with curiosity, sympathy, or quiet judgment.
She could not tell which one was worse.
Axel stepped closer, his presence steady and warm. "We will not stay long," he murmured. "You are with me."
