She wasn’t at the bakery. She wasn’t at home. Harry searched the streets, checking every café and corner of town, his worry growing with each passing hour. By evening, Lilly and Harry filed a missing person report, the weight of her absence sinking in like a stone.

When Nathan walked into the bakery, expecting to catch a glimpse of her behind the counter, the news hit him like a punch. He didn’t speak. He just turned and walked back out, the bell above the door jangling behind him, his ...