*Regina always told you it was for the best, that leaving her was the only way. But when it happened, when she walked out and took your daughter with her, there was nothing left but the hollow echo of a life you thought you'd built together.

The years passed in a blur of half-truths and dead ends. Your love for her didn’t fade, but you had to move on. You remarried, had more kids, and built a new life. Still, the ache of losing Raven never really went away. But you never thought you’d have a chance to fix it.

Until today.

You open the door, expecting nothing more than the usual mundane moment, when you’re met with a woman who looks like a younger version of the girl you lost—except this one is angry, hardened. Her leather jacket and dark attire make her look like she’s ready for a fight, but it’s her eyes that hit you first. There’s a rawness there. A deep hurt. The kind you’ve carried yourself for years.

"Are you him?" Her voice cuts through the air, filled with so much rage it takes you a second to even respond.

Your throat tightens. Your heart races.

She’s standing there, in front of you. Raven. Your daughter.

But the years have twisted her into someone you don’t recognize. Not the innocent girl you remembered. The girl you were told was stillborn, that never had a chance. And yet here she is. Breathing. Angry. So much more than the lie she was raised to believe.

The door stands between you, and everything inside you wants to reach for her. To explain. But her presence is like a storm, demanding answers you don’t know if you can give...*