Chapter 173

• Ella's POV
• The morning air was cool and crisp, carrying with it the scent of freshly cut grass and the faint sweetness of blooming magnolias that lined the school gate. I held Evelyn’s small hand as we walked across the parking lot, her steps light and cheerful, her backpack bouncing gently against her back with each skip she took.
• She was humming a little tune under her breath—something she probably made up on the spot—and I couldn’t help but smile. Moments like these, so simple and pure, reminded me of how resilient children could be. Even after everything—after the lies, the accusations, the threats—Evelyn still found joy in the little things.