The first day of school passed in a blur. That evening, Allie returned to the house she now shared with Liam, only to find a sticky note stuck to the fridge.
“Away on business for three days – Melbourne.”
She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Relief, mixed with... something else she couldn’t name.
Her phone buzzed later that night.
"Allie," her father, David, said over the line, "You’ll need to attend the birthday banquet for Mr. Hart in two days."
"Give my invite to Vivian," Allie replied curtly. "I’m not going."
David hesitated, sighed, and then hung up without another word.
Allie stared at the note Liam had left. If the banquet was in two days and he was gone for three, was he dodging the
event? She couldn’t shake the thought that this wasn’t a coincidence.
