The words might have slipped off Charlotte's tongue with unsettling ease—
But inside, it was anything but easy.
A voice deep within her kept whispering —no, screaming —that she was crossing a line she should never cross. That she was staking something she might never be able to reclaim.
It warned her.
It questioned her.
It asked her what kind of mother she was becoming.
And yet—
Even with that voice clawing at her conscience, she stood her ground.
Because in her heart, she believed she was doing this for the right reason.
Clara was fragile. Weak. She needed them. She needed this role.
And if this was the only way to make Adelyn understand the seriousness of the situation, then so be it.
She would take it.
When she saw Adelyn halt mid-step, Charlotte took it as a small victory.
After all, she knew—
No matter how much Adelyn claimed she had severed all ties with them, Charlotte couldn't bring herself to believe it.
They had once been a family.
