"Lainey, you're back?" Miles’s voice carried a mix of surprise and warmth as his gaze landed on me.

"Yeah, just got in today," I replied, letting the word "today" linger deliberately.

Nora, never one to miss a moment, chimed in smoothly. "Just got back and already ran into you? What are the odds?" Her tone was sweetly innocent, but the sharp undercurrent was impossible to miss, slicing right through Miles’s polished composure.

He gestured ...