The morning after the party dawned crisp and clear over Willow Bay, the sun glinting off the waves like scattered diamonds.

Ethan woke in his childhood bedroom, the familiar creak of the floorboards underfoot pulling him back to simpler times but sleep had been elusive, his mind replaying the curve of Lila's smile, the accidental brush of her knee.

He shook it off, dressing in khakis and a button-down that felt too stiff for the coastal air. Today marked the start of his real work here, a ...