"Calm down," she said, setting the mug on a stool beside her and leaning back against her chair. "I know who you are," she added, looking at Tyler and Alex.
"But how did you know?" I wondered aloud. "And why did you also want to see me?"
"Please tell your friends to relax, and I assure you I have no plan to harm any of you."
I beckoned both of them to take a seat and was relieved when they did so without resistance.
"Alice," she began solemnly, her brown eyes gleaming with light. "My name is Cassandra, and I was a close friend of your mother, Isabella."
"She was my mom's friend?" I felt a wave of emotion, and my eyes welled up with unshed tears. Finally, I was speaking with someone who knew my mom. "What... What was she like?" I asked, taking a dainty sip from the mug to calm my nerve
