*Michael*

The sun beat down on my forehead as I drove toward the private tarmac in the Maldives, my eyes fixated on the road ahead. The tropical air felt heavy and damp, sticking to my skin like a second layer. As the palm trees swayed gently on either side of the road, I couldn't help but feel my own internal unease growing. I was on my way to pick up Lauren from the airport.

Our relationship had been tense ever since her mother's death. I wasn't delusional about the ...