CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY EIGHT - The Walls We Build

As the cab pulled up to her apartment building, Mara felt a renewed sense of determination. She couldn't erase the hurt of the past, but she could help build a bridge to the future. A future where the Noble siblings could be a family again. With a deep breath, she stepped out of the cab, her mind already mapping out the details of her plan. It wouldn't be easy, but as she thought of Cassius and Clarissa, of the pain and hope she'd seen in both their eyes, she knew it was worth trying. The Noble Mansion, once a silent testament to a family's fractured past, now bustled with activity. Clarissa, her face etched with determination, oversaw every detail of the tribute she had organized for her late parents. The grand foyer, where just weeks ago dust had settled like a shroud, now gleamed with polished marble and fresh flowers. "The garlands need to be higher," Clarissa instructed a worker, her voice firm but not unkind. "Mom always liked them to frame the doorways." As she moved through