Chapter 82: The Trial of Trust

The silence in the small farmhouse was a living thing, heavier and more suffocating than the humid summer air that pressed against the windowpanes. It coiled in the corners of the living room, clung to the floral curtains Gracie had so lovingly sewn, and settled between her and Gideon on the worn sofa like an unwelcome guest. Outside, the world was alive with the hum of insects and the distant rustle of leaves in the orchard. Inside, it was a tomb. The rumors had slithered into their home over...