Chapter 167

• Marcel’s POV
• (Late evening – Evelyn’s room, warm glow from the sunset)
• After my conversation with Ella, I found myself lingering at the hallway corner for a moment, staring at the closed door to Evelyn’s room. The tension from earlier still clung to my shoulders like a weighted coat, but the soft sound of Evelyn’s laughter from within eased something in me. Her giggle—light, free, unburdened—cut through the worry that had coiled around my chest since Madam Yesenia’s visit.