A new beginning

The compound was silent except for the faint rustle of the wind moving through the trees when the driver rolled the truck to a stop before the towering wrought iron gates. A white mansion, glistening in the afternoon sunlight, rose in the distance. It looked unreal, like a postcard painting of paradise—clean white walls, massive windows, and palm trees neatly lined across a paved driveway.

Tessa sat stiff in the passenger seat, her eyes red and swollen from crying. Her body ...