The villa, once a haven of quiet ocean breezes and stolen warmth, now felt like a house under siege.
Lilian’s presence cast a long, chilling shadow through every room she stepped into. Despite Andrew’s protests and Amelia’s stunned silence, she had calmly—no, deliberately—unpacked her designer suitcase in the guest suite and made it very clear she wasn’t going anywhere until their “little getaway” was over.
That had been her exact phrasing. Delivered with a clipped smile and a tone soaked in judgment.
Breakfast the next morning was a tense affair. The dining table, set out on the patio with a view of the sea, should have felt like paradise. Instead, it was stifling.
Lilian sat at one end of the long table, elegant in a white silk blouse and tailored pants, her posture rigid, her eyes s
