Chapter 3

Daniel led Sophie deeper into Seaside Village.

He seemed oblivious to her silence, lost in his own nostalgic tales of the village.

"Look at that old oak tree," he said, pointing to a lush, leafy tree nearby. "When I first got to the village, I came down with a high fever. Lily carried me three kilometers over the hills to find a doctor. We stopped to rest under that tree. Her hands were sweaty, but she kept asking if I was cold." "And that rocky beach at the village entrance," he continued. "It's dangerous at high tide, but Lily wasn't scared. She's a strong swimmer."

The Lily Harvey he described was kind, her heart and eyes full of him.

Sophie kept her gaze lowered.

Kind?

If Lily was truly kind, she wouldn't have hidden Daniel in this remote village when the Carter family used every resource and offered a hefty reward to find him, cutting him off from his family entirely.

"We're almost there." Daniel stopped, pointing to a low tiled house ahead.

Fishing nets hung in the yard, and strings of dried fish dangled under the eaves, the air thick with the damp, briny smell of the sea.

The door stood slightly ajar, and a faint cough came from inside.

Daniel pushed it open, barely containing his joy. "Lily, I'm back."

At his words, a figure rushed out from the house.

When she saw Daniel at the door, she froze.

"Danny?" Her voice trembled, tears welling up instantly. "How... how are you back?"

Before Daniel could respond, Lily threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist, her face buried in his chest, sobbing. "I thought... I thought I'd never see you again in this life. They said your family found you, that you went back to the big city, that you'd never come back."

Her cries carried grievance and fear, as if Daniel's return was a treasure reclaimed.

Daniel, held tightly, instinctively patted her back, his voice soft. "I'm back, Lily. I didn't leave."

Sophie stood at the gate, watching the two locked in a tight embrace, feeling the absurdity of it all.

She watched quietly until Lily seemed to notice her, lifting a tear-streaked face. Her gaze landed on Sophie, now sharp with wariness and hostility. "Why... why is she here?"

Daniel glanced back at Sophie, looking conflicted.

Sophie stepped back, putting distance between them, her voice calm. "I brought him here. You two talk. I'm leaving."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Behind her, Lily's choked voice called out. "Danny, is she here to take you away? Please don't go..."

Daniel's tone carried a hint of helplessness as he soothed her. "Don't overthink it. I'm not going anywhere."