Chapter 15

Samuel pushed Lucas' hand away. Though a faint bond still lingered between them due to their shared blood, that was all it would ever amount to. He gently cupped the boy's face and said, "I'm not your father. Go back and tell Elise to stop pushing this idea." With that, he grabbed Lucas and threw him out the door, then immediately changed the lock code. The house fell silent once more. Samuel wandered back to the bedroom like a man lost in his own body. His eyes landed on the fireplace, and his thoughts spiraled. He remembered how cold Elise had been at the family dinner. He had noticed it back then, so why hadn't he asked? Had he done so, perhaps things would be different. Maybe Annabelle would never have left him for good. Leaning heavily against the wall, he lowered his head helplessly. A faint crackling sound came from the fireplace at this moment. Samuel looked up. Then, he walked over and plunged his hand straight into the flames like a man gone mad. His eyes burned with