LOGIN"Jason has moved into the family villa."The moment Hilda said that, the room fell silent. Every hand froze.The villa was no longer theirs. They had always known someone else would eventually move in. They had assumed it would be Oscar, or perhaps Rebecca. Jason had never crossed their minds.Clara was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "How is he living there? Oscar would actually let him move in?"At the naming ceremony, Oscar's attitude toward Jason had been cold. He had not been as openly hostile as he was toward the sisters, but the distance between them had been unmistakable.He didn't like Jason. The reason was obvious. Jason was the one who had set everything in motion. He was the reason Oscar had been driven out of the Chamberlain household in the first place.How could Oscar possibly like him? Let alone give him a villa. It made no sense.Diana pressed her lips together as she thought it through. "Could it be because of Father? Before Oscar was expelled,
"Go stay at the Chamberlain villa." Oscar spoke simply, without ceremony.Jason was Arthur's son. With something like this falling on the family, Oscar couldn't leave the young man with nowhere to go. The villa was an empty shell anyway. It was better to have a Chamberlain by blood looking after it than let it sit abandoned.Jason dropped to his knees and knocked his forehead against the floor hard enough to leave a mark. "Thank you, Oscar. Thank you."Oscar shook his head and walked out of Ruby's house without another word.…Several days passed before the Chamberlain sisters finally received the news they had been waiting for.Their efforts had paid off. Amara was showing signs of improvement, and the doctor told them she could wake within the next two or three days.The sisters were overjoyed."We're adding cheese to the pasta tonight."That was how they celebrated. The days leading up to this weren't something they would soon forget.After selling the last of Clara's clot
Jason dangled in the air, his arms and legs flailing uselessly. At last, fear and anger surfaced in his eyes."Bro, let's talk this through. We share a father, after all."Oscar's gaze remained cold and steady.Jason looked away first and answered the question. "How could it be bad? What mother doesn't have a good relationship with her child?"Oscar continued to stare at him. Jason lasted barely three seconds before a hollow, self-mocking laugh escaped him. "But I was different. I respected her and cared about her, but I didn't want her alive."His eyes darkened to a blood-red hue, and his expression twisted into something ugly. "Why is it that other mothers raise their children right, but mine had to go out and sell herself? Had to go out and bring home clients?"She thought she was being discreet. But who didn't know? The whole neighborhood knew. Every last person on every street knew that Jason's mother was a loose woman. That I was some man's bastard."Every single fight end
Clara nodded.Elara struggled to her feet again. "No! I want Oscar. Amara brought this on herself. Her pride couldn't stand the idea of someone contributing more to this family than she did. I'm going to find Oscar!"This time, Clara pushed her back down without effort."Majority rules." She held her firmly in place. "We've made our decision. Starting today, each of us will visit the hospital and reinforce that idea in Amara's mind. Let's help her get back on her feet."Everyone nodded in agreement.Then a stomach growled somewhere in the room.Clara's face immediately turned red. She had skipped breakfast in her rush from the hospital and was running on empty.She lowered her gaze to the floor. "I'm not... I'm not hungry.""It's fine, Clara. I still have a little money left on my phone." Giana rescued her before she could finish. "Let's go get something to eat."…By then, Oscar had already returned to Silverton. He found Jason at Ruby's small courtyard house.The young man
The silence stretched on.Identifying the problem was simple. Committing to an answer wasn't.Each of them understood exactly what Oscar had done for the family. He had treated them fairly and fulfilled every obligation. But he was no longer part of the family, and the divide between him and them had grown too wide.What they wanted was for Amara to return to them whole. Amara's feelings toward Oscar had never been ambiguous. She held him in contempt.The only real question was whether to follow that course or try to change it. If they followed it, Amara would wake up as the same woman she had always been. Any relationship with Oscar would be beyond repair, likely for the rest of her life. But she would still be Amara, and they could move forward together toward a future that might or might not lead somewhere.If they went against it, Amara might wake up burdened with guilt toward Oscar instead. That was not who she was.Even if she accepted it, even if she admitted she had been
The sisters didn't know how long the investigation would take. What they did know was that they could not even afford breakfast.Clara took off her coat and handed it over without dwelling on who was responsible for what had been stolen. "Sell my jacket. I'll hold the money."She explained Amara's condition and laid out her theory about its cause, speaking plainly and without judgment. "We had time to wait and let her wake up on her own. We don't have that anymore. We need to decide what to do."The medical bills aren't something we can sustain indefinitely. I think we should go to her bedside and reinforce her sense of what she contributed to this family. If anyone has a different idea, say it now."All of them were still in their pajamas. The sight was faintly absurd, though no one was in the mood to notice.No one spoke first. Who really knew what was happening inside Amara's head?She was the eldest sister, but the relationship had never been that simple. It was closer to tha
Rebecca snatched the paper from Oscar's hands, excitement bright in her voice. "What did you write?"She glanced down and froze.'This is it?' A second later, her eyes stung. 'Damn the Chamberlains! Damn them for putting him through this!'Three lines filled the page.1) Go to school with Rebecc
"Why are you up so early?" Oscar asked.Rebecca was already sitting by his bed when Oscar woke.Yesterday, he had heard her come in. Today, he had slept through it completely. That would not have happened before. Living like a normal person was not the same as being one."I'm here to have breakfa
Oscar smiled and patted Rebecca on the shoulder. "I'm fine. Dr. Hoffman knows what he's doing. For whatever time I have left, I'll be able to live like a normal person."She glanced at Caleb.He nodded. "That's correct. Even so, I strongly recommend that you leave Silverton. Your body cannot handl
Oscar sat across from Caleb at the hospital bedside. He had finally sent Rebecca and the others out to rest."How long do I have left, Dr. Hoffman?" Oscar looked unwell."Oscar, are you trying to ruin my reputation? The Vigil conference just ended, and you do this to yourself?"Oscar managed a fa







