"Hello, the unexpected. You've come again, uninvited and unyielding, reminding me that life's greatest turns often arrive without warning."
Estelle stood in the corner of the crowded room, her breath fanning over the glass of wine she pretended to be drinking while she tried to ignore the hundred glances pressing on her. The room was buzzing, but she could still feel the suffocating tension—the whispered rumours, the lingering stares from both Hayes and Hunter and the glares from Carla, who was trying to shift Hunter’s attention from her to herself. It was oddly satisfying, but even so, she couldn’t stop her eyes from searching for the little girl, nor could she stop her heart from pounding in her chest, the familiar ache throbbing at the memory of her loss and all she had endured, accomp
