Three days had passed since Soren had called off the wedding with Livia Glover, and the ripple effects of that decision had begun to settle into the corners of both the Glover and Bellandi households.

While one family seethed with frustration and confusion, the other struggled with emotions long buried under years of control, duty, and unspoken expectations.

True to her word, Lem Glover had picked up the phone that morning and called Samantha Bellandi, her voice crisp and deliberate, ...