Chapter One Hundred And Five
Khalid’s POV
The house was completely quiet. The only sound in the entire place was the soft, steady ticking of the old clock on the living room wall. Venessa had fallen fast asleep quite early in the evening. She was curled up tightly on the old, comfortable fabric couch in the center of the living room with a thick, warm blanket draped over her small body. Grandma had already said goodnight and gone to her own bed down the hallway, leaving just the two of us alone in the room. The only light came from the soft, warm glow of the small table lamp beside the couch, which cast long shadows across the floor. I sat right there beside her on the edge of the cushions, gently stroking my fingers through her soft hair over and over again. I watched the peaceful, slo
