“I will.”
The door opened, and Evelyn walked in like she was entering a fight.
“If Elena makes a scene,” she said, “I’m walking outside before I say something I can’t take back.”
Behind her, Maya appeared in a soft blue dress, twisting her bracelet around her wrist.
“Dad?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do I have to hug her?”
The room went quiet.
I put both hands on her shoulders. “No. Nobody gets a hug just because they share blood.”
Her shoulders dropped. “Okay.”
Stella kept asking if everyone had eaten, which meant she hadn’t eaten.
Then the doors opened.
I knew Elena had arrived before I saw her.
The room shifted.
Voices lowered.
Elena walked in wearing a sparkling dress that looked more suited for a gala than her daughter’s wedding. Diamonds flashed at her throat. Julian walked beside her, neat and expensive, with his family close behind.
