Chapter 4 - A Heartbreaking Reunion
The sedan pulled up to a decaying, brick boarding house in the darkest corner of the East End.
Julian stepped out into the freezing night, his expensive leather shoes splashing into a muddy puddle.
The stench of garbage and damp wood filled the air, making his stomach churn with immense guilt.
He followed Lily up three flights of rotting wooden stairs, the floorboards groaning under his weight.
Lily pushed open a peeling door that barely had a lock on it.
"Mama? I brought someone home," Lily called out softly into the freezing, dark room.
Julian stepped inside and saw a frail figure huddled under a thin, moth-eaten blanket on a mattress on the floor.
It was Elena.
She looked nothing like the radiant, smiling woman he had married five years ago.
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Her cheekbones were hollow, her skin was pale, and she was shivering violently in the cold room.
Julian fell to his knees beside the mattress, tears finally spilling down his face.
