After a few days tucked away at Liam’s other house, we finally returned to the main one, carrying between us a secret Cassie could never know and an unspoken agreement to guard it as if it were worth more than gold.

Sophia attached herself at my side the moment we walked in, slipping into full protective-aunt mode as if she’d been training for this her whole life.

Between her constant check-ins, over-the-top fussing, and Liam’s own watchful shadow, I honestly couldn’t tell who was ...