ACE
I sat in the study, the house quiet around me, my thoughts louder than any sound could be. My gaze kept flicking toward the living room, replaying the scene from earlier—the way Lily had handled Alice. How she’d managed the chaos without breaking a sweat, without letting Alice spiral out of control. The kid had a temper, that much was obvious, but Lily had handled it like it was nothing.
And somehow, in that moment, I felt it. That pull. That… satisfaction, mixed with something I wasn’t entirely ready to name.
I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair, and frowned. What the hell was I thinking? I’d spent months keeping my distance from her, keeping things professional, keeping my heart out of it. Or at least, I thought I had.
And yet… the memory of her sighing softl
