Chapter 30

The cornfields was endless, green and silent under the sun. Lily moved like a shadow, her steps careful as she trailed Ewan deeper into the fields. He hadn't seen her yet, too focused on the rhythm of his work, the knife in his hand slashing through stalks with relentless intensity and speed.

Her heart pounded as she watched him. The boy she'd once known was gone, replaced by a man hardened by grief and labor. His shoulders, broader now, flexed with each movement, the tanned skin of his arms marked by scars she didn't recognize.

Lily's grip on her cloak tightened as memories surfaced in her mind–his laugh, warm and easy; his touch, always gentle despite the strength in his hands; the way he'd look at her as if she were the only person in the world. But that was a lifetime ago.

Now, she needed answers. She had waited too long to confront him, and the time for hesitation and cowardice was over.