The morning light filtered through gauzy curtains, washing the dining room in a deceptive calm. The clink of silverware against the chair , carried a rhythm that grated against Sierra’s ears. Vanessa sat at the head of the table as if she were conducting an orchestra, her every glance, every pause, every deliberate sip of coffee a calculated move.
Sierra forced a bite of toast past the tightness in her throat. Once, breakfast had been easy, a time of laughter, of harmless chatter about college schedules or Damien’s business trips. Now, the silence between every word felt like barbed wire stretched across the table.
Vanessa’s smile was deceptively soft as she set her cup down. “You’ve been quiet, Sierra. Are the city nights tiring you already?”
Sierra’s stomach clenched. “Just adjusting,
