The golden rays of dusk streamed through the grand windows of the mansion, bathing the marble floors in a soft glow. But inside Melissa’s heart, there was no light—only the sound of her mother’s voice trembling as it echoed through the silence.
“Come with me, Melissa,” her mother said again, softly this time, yet her voice was laced with urgency. “This place… this man… he’s not your home.”
Melissa stood rooted in the center of the room, the long folds of her pale dress swaying slightly with the breeze that crept in through the open door. Her fingers curled against her sides, her chest rising and falling with a storm she couldn’t name.
“No,” she said finally, quietly. “I’m not leaving.”
Her mother stared at her, the heartbreak rising in her eyes. “Melissa—”
“I said I’m not leaving,” Me
