Since she would soon be heading somewhere dangerous, Maya decided to lay her grandmother to rest first.
She bought a small cremation pendant, tucked a lock of Belinda's hair inside with a pinch of ash, and buried the rest in a cemetery plot.
Kneeling at the headstone, she curled her fingers around the pendant at her chest. "Grandma, don't worry," she whispered. "I'm finally going to do what I've always wanted. I'll take care of myself."
By the time Maya got back to the villa, dusk had settled. Laughter spilled from the living room the moment she stepped inside.
She froze, and in that instant, Cole spotted her.
He crossed the room, took her by the elbow, and steered her in. "Come on and meet a couple of friends."
A man and a woman stood from the couch and turned toward her, amusement flickering in their eyes. It was Valerie and Carter.
Maya's body trembled before she could stop it. It was a reflex she could never control around Valerie.
Cole's tone stayed easy. "Valerie grew up with me, and Carter is my twin. They just got back from overseas and will be attending our wedding."
Valerie raised a hand and gave Maya a sweet smile. "We know each other. We were roommates in university."
She slipped forward, hooked an arm through Maya's, and leaned in to murmur in her ear, "Right, Maya?"
A reel of old scenes snapped to life behind Maya's eyes. Every time the bullying ended, Valerie would breathe the same line against her ear. "It's just a joke between roommates, right, Maya?"
Maya flinched hard and shoved her away on instinct.
Valerie landed on the rug and looked up with wounded eyes. "You still don't like me? I'm only trying to get along."
Both men's expressions darkened. Cole rushed to pull Valerie up, his eyes turning cold.
Carter's brows pinched. "Cole, your fiancee's got quite the temper. She's not even married to you yet, and she's already throwing her weight around?"
Cole stepped in front of Valerie and didn't bother to soften his tone. "Maya, apologize!"
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