Chapter 115

• The silence in the room was oppressive, a heavy clothe that suffocated the air out of them, making every breath feel like a struggle. Isabella's children slept fitfully, their small bodies exhausted from the trauma they had endured, their tiny chests rising and falling with each labored breath. But Isabella couldn't sleep. Her mind was a maelstrom of thoughts, a jumble of emotions that refused to settle, like a restless sea crashing against the shore.
• She detached herself from her children's embrace, gently extricating herself from their clinging arms, her fingers tracing the contours of their small faces, memorizing every feature. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the somber faces of Danielle and the young man, their gazes meeting hers with a mixture of worry and tiredness.
• Danielle's expression was a mask of empathy, her eyes filled with a deep understanding, while the young man's face was etched with a scowl, his brow furrowed in frustration. Isabella settled into a corner of the room, crossing her legs in a meditative pose, her hands clasped together in her lap.