NA

that probably cost more than my parents' funeral. Adrian's hand rested on my waist as we walked through the entrance, a

gainst my ear. "You're

o be a lot of t

harder. Warning or comfort,

el small on purpose. A table stretched down the center, set for

ed and he looks like

He just looked. Gray hair, sharp eyes, the kind of face t

r for me. I sat because my legs wer

a," Adrian sa

rong. Foreign. Like tryi

nt his eyes held surprise but he quickly hid it so perfect that I thought it was just the fringes of my imag

ninet

urned to Adrian. "James and Maya are joining us. They

e contact, and I wondered how many uncomfortable dinners she'd served in th

. "Tell me about yourself, Elena.

n't fi

y n

died. I ha

kind o

ghtened. "Is th

er-in-law. Unless there's a re

the room shifted. The man looked older than Adrian, maybe late twenties, with the same dark hair but harder features. Hand

warm. Genuine. Nothing like his father's empt

e, hand extende

a . He said surprise d

oks like an apology"You do look exactly like Sophia. I nearly thought you were a resurrected Sophia.Adrian's told us absolu

'm El

rian said.

ames sat, pulling out a chair for th

the way a cat might look at a bird with a broken wing. "What a su

fast,"

w f

ce held a warning.

me a wife. Especially after." She paused, and the paus

that probably had a French name I couldn't pronounce. I picked

two meet?"

r," Adri

s. You locked eyes across a crowded roo

ing lik

ya's eyes moved between us.

d. The kind of food that made you angry

ied soon too," I said to James. Anyt

't wait. Though we're doing it properly. Engageme

t deserve that. I deserved a drunken sig

is different

are about love. Others are about practicality. Whi

e under the table. His

conve

arranged like art. I cut into the meat be

d said. "Since we're

ne loo

ntion the weather. Casual. Matter of fact. "Brai

ale. Adrian's hand tighte

mes said. "When

weeks

just telli

. I've made my decision. The CEO position goes to whichever of my sons is married a

directly

nd of two months, I'll decide who gets every

und was the clock ticking

orced myself to swallow.

I s

Ornate gold frame. A portrait of a woman in

d exactly

Exactly. Like someone had painte

tered agains

one t

ice came out wrong.

ze. "Ah. That's Sophia

oom t

rian. "You said you were mar

m words around the thing sittin

ued. "Terrible business. She fell

" I re

rtrait. "She was quite beautiful. You have a simi

face wa

wder my nose. Elena, would you min

now where it i

ther. Girl talk." Maya s

closing in and the woman in the portrait was staring at me with my o

e dining room. Down a hallway. Past more paintings

arble and gold fixtures. She checked th

ile va

said. "Is that w

you talk

thing." Maya stepped closer. "And you look just like her. Exactly like her. That

hit the

ou telling

Before." Maya pulled out her lipstick. Started reapplying i