Chapter 18 - The Perfect Answer
Chloe paused, setting her slice of pizza down on her paper plate.
She offered her father a warm, incredibly genuine smile.
She looked past him, into the living room, where an old, framed family photograph still sat proudly on the mantelpiece—a picture of Arthur carrying a five-year-old Chloe on his shoulders at the beach.
She reached across the kitchen table and took her father's large, calloused hand in hers.
"No," Chloe answered simply.
"Why not?" Arthur asked, genuinely curious.
May you like
Chloe squeezed his fingers tightly. She looked directly into his eyes, her expression radiating absolute, unshakeable calm.
"Because the man who raised me was never the wrong one," Chloe replied with perfect clarity.
