224
~Bella's POV
As I merged into the slow crawl of morning traffic, my fingers tapped absently on the steering wheel, but my mind was far from the lines of cars and flashing brake lights around me. I kept seeing Noah's face, the exact moment the news settled in, when he finally let himself believe that freedom wasn't just a fantasy anymore. The way his eyes had widened, glossed with tears, and how his hands had trembled slightly as he held the photo of Mia. His smile, that rare, real one, had lingered long after our conversation. It wasn't just relief. It was hope.
And it was contagious.
I felt it burning in my chest, warm and solid like a small flame I needed to protect. I wanted Mia to feel it too, to see what her awakening had sparked in Noah, in me, in all of us. She deserved to know the truth: that her life still had weight, that her presence was still a force strong enough to change everything.
