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"Elena's story isn't pretty, Aaron," Carter began, his voice laced with the gravity of the truth. "After her mother died, she was subjected to unspeakable abuse by her father. It was relentless. Gordon would drown his sorrows in alcohol, leaving Elena alone at home, hungry and vulnerable. His rage knew no bounds; he would strike her without provocation, using her as a vessel to release his pent-up anger and grief."

Aaron listened in silence, his features etched with a mixture of anguish and disbelief.

"To him, Elena was a painful reminder of the wife he had lost, and in his agony, he inflicted upon her the same suffering he endured. Then, things got a little better when he remarried and had another daughter, Kesha. But then, Elena became this odd piece that didn't fit into the family. The child from another marriage. Once again, she was mistreated by her sister and stepmother, and Gordon... he was too busy with his new fucking perfect life to help his own daughter."

"Who told you th