KAIA
The next morning, I drag myself out of bed and head to the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. In the mirror, I look pale and shaken, dark circles under my eyes from another restless night.
Between Vincent's late-night visit, the confrontation at work, and now this bizarre dream, I feel like I'm slowly coming apart at the seams.
Twenty minutes later, I’m dressed for work in a crisp white blouse tucked into a knee-length black skirt, my hair pulled back into a plain ponytail. After yesterday’s public humiliation, the last thing I want is to walk into a storm of office gossip—but life rarely gives us what we want.
Mom is in the kitchen when I come downstairs, sitting at the table with her morning tea. She looks up when I enter, her dark eyes immediately cataloging my appeara
