My Family Stole My Run I Returned A Leader Chapter 05
The blanket on the bed was folded smooth.
Nothing sat on the desk.
The wardrobe door hung half open, revealing its empty interior.
There wasn’t a single trace left in the room to suggest I was coming back.
Stefan’s expression slowly changed.
He strode to the desk and yanked open the drawer.
Empty.
The metal tin he knew I used to store his letters was gone.
He turned immediately to the trash can.
A fresh liner had already been put in.
Only one small, half-burned scrap of paper was caught on the edge.
Stefan crouched and picked it up.
The paper was old, its corners blackened by fire.
Only half a sentence remained.
“When Paloma gets into college, I’ll take you…”
The rest was gone.
Stefan’s fingers trembled.
That was from a letter he’d written in his first year at the advanced academy.
Back then, he had promised that when I got into college, he would take me to see the sea.
“Stefan, what’s wrong?”
Bella had come to the doorway and was looking at him.
Stefan stood, his voice tight.
“Paloma moved all her things out.”
The three people in the living room all came over.
Tony gave a cold laugh.
“Well, obviously. She probably already went to Gray Harbor.”
“A clean getaway. Didn’t even bother to say goodbye.”
My mother chimed in.
“Exactly. Her temper just gets worse and worse.”
“Let her try living in Gray Harbor with no money. We’ll see how fast she comes crawling back.”
Stefan said nothing.
He stared at the scorched scrap in his hand.
My scent had all but vanished from the room, and the letters had been burned.
The unease in his chest grew heavier.