LISA’S POV
The glass in my hand trembled, the juice sloshing dangerously close to the rim. My breath hitched, and for a moment, the world blurred when I saw her.
Elena.
She stood in the living room, her presence slicing through the air like a blade. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, her posture poised, her expression unreadable. She looked as if she belonged here—as if the house itself had been waiting for her return.
My stomach churned.
I had known she was coming. Aiden had warned me, his voice clipped, his eyes avoiding mine. “She’ll be staying for a few months,” he’d said, as if that made it bearable. But knowing and seeing her—here—were two entirely different things.
The staff whispered, their voices a low hum of curiosity. Aiden stood taller, his shoulders sti
