Deciding to face Karen Hale was anything but easy. The memory of her cold stare, her quiet disapproval heavier than any shouted anger, made Tessa’s palms sweat. Karen was Nathan’s aunt, the woman who had stepped in as his guardian after both his parents died. She had raised him, shaped him, and become the last stronghold of the Hale family.

Karen had just arrived from Amsterdam, and from their phone conversation alone, it was clear she didn’t like Tessa because of her family ...