The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains as Mia reluctantly opened her eyes. She'd barely slept, her mind racing with everything she'd overheard in the garden. The clock on her nightstand showed 7:30 AM—later than she usually woke up.

"Shoot," she muttered, throwing off the covers. Eleanor was strict about punctuality at breakfast, and the last thing Mia needed was to give her another reason to disapprove.

She quickly showered and threw on a simple blue dress—one of the few ...