Chapter 8 - The Whispering Town
Gossip in a small town behaves like wildfire. Soon, patrons at the local market avoided eye contact, and whispers trailed Thomas wherever he went. Some labeled him foolishly blind for almost marrying a viper; others criticized him when news leaked that Claire had received private benefactor funding.
"People talk because their own lives are untamed," Mark said as they repaired an old barn roof together. "They want blood, Thomas. Mercy confuses them."
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"I didn't do it for them," Thomas answered, driving a nail into weathered cedar. "I did it so Lily sees that when someone throws poison, we don't throw it back."
From the lawn below, Lily was busy weaving dandelions into a ring, glancing up at her uncle with growing reassurance.
