"What did Ceciia come to talk to you about?"

That evening, as Ashton gently dried Elaine’s hair, he asked the question softly.

He rarely pried into her thoughts, but he must have noticed how quiet she’d been since Ceciia left. It wasn’t like her to seem so distracted, and he clearly sensed something was weighing on her mind.

Elaine hesitated for a moment before answering, "Do you think the Murphy family’s influence has been completely ...