The suffocating guilt and sorrow Cassie had been burying for weeks finally shattered, the dam breaking as tears immediately welled in her eyes. "Do you still love me, Mommy?" she whispered tearfully.
Nora nodded, her eyes overflowing with absolute, unconditional maternal devotion.
"I will love you forever."
Utterly content, Cassie finally closed her eyes with a peaceful sigh. Nora quietly slipped out of the room, leaving only a faint nightlight glowing in the corner.
Snuggled under the covers, a triumphant, joyous smile lingered on Cassie's lips.
When Nora returned to the master bedroom, Xander had already showered and was leaning against the headboard, reviewing some documents. Seeing her walk in, he smoothly took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. As soon as she slid into bed, he naturally pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He was just reaching to turn off the lamp when Nora looked up.
"Xander, I need to talk to you about something."
He paused. "Hmm? What is it?"
Nora hesitated for a brief second. "I want to tell Annabel's family everything and get them moved to a secure location immediately. Seraphina ambushed me in an alley today; tomorrow, they could easily target Annabel to force my hand. Gareth and Meredith deserve to know exactly where this threat is coming from."
Xander was silent for a moment before nodding firmly. "Understood. I'll arrange for a secure extraction tomorrow and move them somewhere completely off the grid."
A profound wave of gratitude washed over Nora. She couldn't allow her family to be targeted, nor could she let innocent people caught in the crossfire suffer for her sake.

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