EMBER’S POV
My baby girl. Like she didn’t cut me off without a second thought eight years ago.
Like she didn’t ignore every call, every text, every desperate attempt I made to reach her during the worst years of my marriage.
“Mother,” I say, and even I can hear how flat it sounds. "We are already scheduled for lunch. What are you doing here?”
“Spending time with my daughter, of course! I thought we could have a spa day. Just the two of us.” She finally notices Queenie standing beside me and her smile tightens almost imperceptibly. “And your... friend. How nice.”
“Queenie,” I say. “She’s staying.”
Something flickers in Devika’s eyes—irritation, maybe, or calculation—but she recovers quickly.
“The more the merrier! Now, I’ve heard the hot stone massage here is absolutely divine. And t
