Chapter 62

• Sylvia Luke nodded thoughtfully, absorbing Lily’s words. It felt like a moment of clarity had settled over her, one that brought a sense of understanding she had been searching for.
• “Okay, I understand now,” she said, finishing the last drop of her drink. It was refreshing, like a cool breeze on a sweltering day, and she felt a little lighter.
• Lily, however, had different plans. She poured a generous measure of alcohol into her glass and downed it in one swift motion. The burn felt familiar, a reminder that sometimes the easiest way to dull the ache of longing was to simply forget. She forced a smile, one tinged with bitterness, knowing Sylvia Luke couldn’t see the true emotion behind it.