Chapter 95 The Monster That Loves You: Part 2

• The request catches me off guard, making my breath catch in my lungs. “I’m not sure I can control that, Ciana,” I say carefully, watching her face for any sign of the old Ciana—the manipulator, the survivor. But all I see is a mother’s desperation. “I don’t have any real power here.”
• Her laugh this time is sharp, cutting through the quiet kitchen like broken glass. “You have more influence than you realize.” Her eyes find mine, holding them with an intensity that makes me want to look away. “It’s why I wanted to be his wife so badly. The orphanages…” She pauses, something dark passing behind her eyes. “They’re not what you think.”
• I furrow my brows, confused and concerned altogether. The Serenity orphanages have always been a point of pride in this society—symbols of their supposed progress and humanity. Even in the tunnels, we’d heard about the quality of care, the opportunities provided.