Chapter 18

Aidan, back then...

The sound of my father's retreating footsteps was still ringing in my ears as I stared at the floor, my fists clenched in impotent fury.

Ellie let out a long sigh and went inside too, leaving me alone with Ivy.

Anger and embarrassment coursed through me like a relentless tide, threatening to drown any semblance of rational thought. Ivy had seen it all. She'd witnessed my father's cruelty and my own humiliating helplessness, shattering the carefully constructed façade I'd built to keep people out.

"Don't look at me like you pity me," I spat bitterly, determined to push Ivy away. The venom in my words was palpable, but I refused to let her see how much her witnessing that moment had affected me.

"Excuse me, I was not?" Ivy's voice trembled slightly, clearly taken aback by my sudden hostility.

"No? Or did watching that scene make you feel good?" I sneered, my eyes meeting hers with an icy glare.