The days dragged on, until those days turned into another month and then another.

The routine remained unchanged, as if the year were merely a monotonous rerun of an old movie, but in that story, it seemed the ending would not be a happy one.

During one of the rare lunches at the Walkers’ mansion, Elizabeth noticed that Oliver no longer had the same sparkle in his eyes. He was quiet, his gaze lost in distant thoughts, as if he were giving up on something important.

Throughout lunch, she watche