"Mommy," Kelly muttered, her voice weak but clearer than before as her eyes slowly fluttered open. "Where's daddy?"

The question hit me like a ton of bricks. My breath caught in my throat, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. I could feel the weight of her words settling on my shoulders, the weight of everything that had happened between Ivan, Nathaniel, and me. How could I explain all of that to a child who just wanted to see her father?

I leaned closer, brushing her hair gently away from her face. "Daddy... Daddy's away right now, sweetheart," I said softly, trying to keep my voice calm...