_Author’s POV_
Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa caught Calden heading their way. She nudged Zarelle and whispered, “What’s he doing here?”
Isabel saw him as well. She hastened to explain, “I didn’t invite him here.”
As one of Zarelle’s oldest friends, Isabel was well aware of the history between Zarelle and Calden. She sided with Elsa on the issue—Calden was not good enough for Zarelle. She would never have asked the man to come, knowing Zarelle was going to be here.
The tension in Isabel’s voice was unmistakable. She had witnessed firsthand the toll that marriage had taken on her friend, watching Zarelle slowly dim over the three years she was with Calden. The transformation back to her vibrant self post-divorce had been remarkable, and Isabel had no intention of letting a
