Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 846

Geneva was startled by the uncharacteristically serious look on her daughter's face. "M-Madge, what's wrong?"

"Come here, Mom, Dad-let's sit down and talk."

The two of them followed her to the couch, concern etched on their faces.

"Norris, Anne-you two should hear this too," Madge added.

Father and daughter exchanged a glance before obediently taking their seats. Roseanne glanced anxiously at her mother. "Mom, what is it?"

Madge took a slow breath. “I'd remembered most things about the past already. Even if there were gaps, the memories have come back, piece by piece. But there was one thing I could never recall how I disappeared that night, how I ended up in Pinehollow, and how I fell into the river... Until yesterday."

Yesterday?

New Year's Eve?

Neely's eyes sharpened. "What happened yesterday?"

by word, Madge said, "I remember

was it?"

voice was steady, unflinching.

pretense, no martyr's forgiveness. Her parents had searched for her for

slept. Part of her feared the truth might be too much for her parents to bear-what if something happened to them? On

Even without proof, she knew her parents would believe her,

She was right.

making the teacups rattle. "How could she do this? What did

with rage, his face

in a silence that was almost

her mother's hands trembling uncontrollably beneath her

then, but I had no proof. If I'd known... if I'd known, I would've wrung the truth from her whatever

was crying, her words laced with grief, regret, and fury—all the pain and restraint of so many years welling up at

her back, trying to calm her down. "I'm here

to breathe, Geneva.

course-Madge's confession hadn't come easily. If she fell ill, or worse, because of this,

"I'm fine. Aberdeen,