Layla sat beside him, legs swinging, ice cream melting onto her fingers.
“Are you still scared?” she asked.
“Sometimes,” he admitted honestly.
“But you’re not pretending anymore,” she said.
He looked at her and understood.
A mansion without truth is only a beautiful prison. Wealth without honesty is a feast set with poison.
He had nearly lost everything — his health, his trust, his life.
But that day in the park, a child with worn shoes and fearless eyes had given him something far greater than survival.
She had given him a second chance — not just to live, but to live honestly.
And this time, he intended to deserve it.
