Felicia smiled but didn't respond. Ever since the incident with Roberta, she had caused quite a stir in the Walsh family. Talia, the mastermind, was now in prison. The three troublesome children, along with Harvey, utterly despised her.

Returning to the Walsh family was unthinkable; she'd be unwelcome, perhaps even targeted again. What was the point of returning to a place where she constantly felt on guard, where even drinking water felt like a calculated risk?

Seeing Felicia's silence, Clive sighed, looking uncomfortable. "I'm getting old, and I haven't managed many things well. Even if I wanted to change things now, I'm powerless. But Harvey is still my son." He couldn't simply cut him off. She understood. She realized Myra and Clive shared a similar capacity for—and limitations of—forgiveness.

Clive protected Harvey; Myra protected Kayla. The words of comfort she'd planned to offer vanished. "Grandpa, I'll leave now," she said.

"Leaving already? You just arrived. Stay a little longer, sit with me. I brought the books you still needed to finish. Take them; read them at your leisure."

"No need, Grandpa. I finished them. My memory's good; I remember everything." Felicia smiled faintly. "I've had a lot of schoolwork lately. I'll come see you again."

"Alright. Take care, and stay safe."

"Mm."

Felicia left Harmony Medical Center. Her schoolwork was merely an excuse. Staying longer, hearing more from Clive, would have overwhelmed her with an inexplicable unease.

She took a deep breath and found herself in front of a movie theater. She went inside, bought a ticket, and watched the film alone. She paid little attention to the plot, but one line resonated: "Happy people heal their lives with their childhood memories; unhappy people spend their lives healing their childhood trauma. People are ultimately trapped by what they couldn't have in their youth."

Felicia leaned back, closed her eyes, and smiled quietly.

"Where are you? I'll pick you up for dinner."

"At the movie theater entrance."

She gave him the address; he arrived quickly. The car's warmth soothed her cold hands and feet.

"Why the movies, alone?"

"Because I don't have any friends," Felicia replied, her smile faint but genuine.

Sebastian was momentarily stunned. "Next time, call me. If you like, ask Mom and Dad, too."

"Alright," she said, agreeing outwardly but not truly believing it. Sebastian wasn't just her brother; Dexter and Myra weren't simply her parents.

He handed her a cup of tea. "Bought this on the way. Still warm. Don't women usually like this?"

"Thank you, Sebastian."

Felicia took the tea, poked the straw through the lid, and sipped. It was sweet.

It had been a long time since Felicia had been home. Since boarding school, she rarely visited. After the training camp, she'd been gone over twenty days, and upon her return, Myra immediately noted her weight loss.