Chapter 536

Bree had been kneeling for an entire day and night. It seemed like she had come straight here after I left the Gildon estate. She was slumped forward, kneeling on the prayer bench. The sight sent a sharp ache through me. William walked over to her, but I stayed where I was, too stunned to move. It was a while before I could even take a step. At last, I knelt beside her. "Bree," I said. Her body trembled as she looked up at me, her face full of disbelief. She didn't say anything. Her lips quivered and tears started falling. I looked at her face and the messy strands of hair at her temples, realizing her hair had gotten noticeably grayer in just a day and night. "Maddie," Bree said after a moment and wrapped her arms around me. Her embrace used to be the most familiar and warmest place I knew, but I couldn't bring myself to hug her back now. "Maddie, I've come to confess. I've come to beg God for mercy," Bree said, her voice shaking. But no confession or pleading could ever bring