The dining room buzzed with quiet energy. Robert sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding without even trying. To his left were Kevin, Samantha, and their three sons, each looking a mix of proud and nervous. To his right sat Charlotte and Anthony, both relaxed but alert.
Right beside Charlotte, the table was spread with an array of beautiful fruits and pastries. Every now and then, she’d pick something up and take a thoughtful bite, like she was only half listening… but everyone knew she caught every word.
“I never expected Lottie to be this amazing,” Robert said, leaning on his cane as he looked at Charlotte with genuine wonder. He’d always known she was talented, especially in medicine, but hearing she had performed Patricia’s heart surgery herself completely floored him.
“I know, right?” Samantha chimed in, her voice warm and eyes full of affection. “She’s definitely Nora’s daughter. Both of them are incredible.”
“If I remember right, Nora was a teenager when she suddenly seemed to know everything,” Kevin added, almost as if he still couldn’t believe it.
A teenager? Suddenly? Charlotte paused, an orange slice halfway to her mouth. “Wait, my mom was really that amazing when she was my age?”
The mention of Nora seemed to cast a shadow over Samantha’s face. Maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up. Nora’s death was something that still hurt everyone at the table.
“She was a brilliant girl,” Robert said softly, his deep voice breaking the silence. “By the time she was ten, she already showed a gift for just about everything.”
“Music, art, science, literature… you name it. Anything she tried, she mastered. It was like she could remember and use anything she ever learned.”
He glanced at Charlotte, pride shining in his eyes. “Especially medicine. She outperformed most graduates from Solace University of Medicine. That’s why the national research institute recruited her. She was only twelve, the youngest member they ever had. We never expected she’d get pulled in so deep…”
His words trailed off, the pain still raw. If he’d known what would happen, he would have stopped her from joining. He would have done anything to keep her safe, even if it meant risking everything himself.


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