The Shape of a Decision

Vera did not rush her recovery.

That alone unsettled the estate.

People expected fury. Retaliation. Orders barked through clenched teeth. Instead, she healed deliberately, painfully aware that Antonio was watching for chaos—watching for her to stumble.

She refused to give him that satisfaction.

The wound in her shoulder throbbed dully as she dressed herself that morning, sliding into a tailored dark blouse that concealed the sling beneath its structured lines. Her ...