The sky was already dark when Olivia dropped Mae off at their house. Mae hugged her tightly at the gate, her excitement spilling into the night air.
“Via, send me photos of what you bought. All of them.”
“I will,” Olivia promised with a small laugh.
“And if Simon scolds you, send me photos of that too.”
“Mae,” Olivia whispered, half amused, half anxious.
Her friend only grinned before waving her inside.
The ride back to Simon’s house felt quieter than usual. The passbook in her purse felt heavier than any bag she had carried. The card inside felt like it hummed with possibility and danger both at once.
When she entered the house, she immediately sensed him.
Simon stood near the kitchen counter, still dressed in his formal shirt and slacks. His sleeves were rolled neatly to his elbo
