AUSTIN’S POV

I sat back on the couch in my mother’s room, a faint smile tugged on my lips as I watched her pour herself a glass of wine.

Mother’s eyes glowed with satisfaction, the kind that always made him uneasy.

She placed the glass down and faced me.

“Nicholas is getting too close to that girl,” she said quietly. “That surrogate… Ava. He’s starting to care for her, and that cannot happen.”

I leaned forward, pretended to be disinterested even though my curiosity stirred. ...