"I used to work so hard—for your gambling debts, for Mom's treatments, for Cornell's tuition…" Regina's voice was quiet, almost bitter. But strangely, her lips were curled into a smile. "But now? I'm doing just fine. I don't worry about making ends meet anymore. I don't have to count every penny for Mom's meds or tuition. Today, at the Barn Emporium, I spent a few million in just hours."
The moon hung full and low beyond the cracked windows, its pale light spilling into the room like a silent witness. Sean listened, his chest tightening under an invisible weight—like something old and primal had stirred inside him.
He had never seen Regina like this before. She looked devastated. But her face—her posture—radiated a kind of strength that unsettled him. As though she'd already crossed into a place he could never reach.
"I don't even know if you truly understand what Waldo is…" she murmured, lowering her eyes. "What kind of blood runs in his veins. He's not… he's not one of us."
