Juliette POV
I kissed Lily on the forehead before she got out of the car. “Have a good day at school, honey,” I said softly, watching her bounce away with the same energy she always had, bright and full of life. She didn’t see it, but I did—the small crack of worry that tugged at my heart, the one that wouldn’t fade no matter how much I tried to push it away.
As I drove off from the school, I found my mind drifting back to earlier in the morning, when my encounter with Evelyn had shaken me to my core.
The moment I opened the door, I froze. There she was—Evelyn. Standing on my doorstep with confidence like she had every right to be there, her sharp gaze fixed on me with that look of superiority that made my stomach churn.
“What are you doing here and how did you find my place?” I asked,
