Eldermere Airport, Ennd.


    Miranda insisted on seeing M and Forrest off. She couldn''t—and wouldn''t— dare return to the States herself, but she couldn''t let them go without onest word. She walked them all the way to the gate, then pulled M aside, lowering her voice for a final, urgent farewell.


    "M," she murmured, "promise me you''ll keep your cool when you get back. If-if you do run into Lysander, don''t provoke him. Don''t try to fight him head-on. Just stay calm and talk it out. Whatever you do, don''t make him angry-he''s absolutely unhinged."


    The mess with Adrian had clearly been no ident, but the timing was all wrong, and everyone knew it. Still, there was no choice but to go back, so M had to be extra careful.


    "I know," M said, squeezing Miranda''s hand with a reassuring smile.


    Maybe it was all the shocks she''d endured recently, but by now M felt almost unnaturally calm, a quiet steadiness settling over her. "Don''t worry. Whateveres, I''ll deal with it. There''s always a way through." She refused to believe her road would end in a dead end now-not after all she''d survived before.


    Seeing theposure in M''s face and the lightness in her smile, Miranda finally allowed herself to rx a little. Still, she hesitated, then added in a near whisper, "If you change your mind about my idea if you ever want to take me up on it- just call me, okay? We''ll figure it out together."


    She was talking about the hunting lodge n the one that sounded more like a wild scheme than a real solution.


    M couldn''t help butugh, exasperated but touched. She didn''t say yes or no- honestly, the whole thing was absurd—but seeing how serious Miranda was, she just nodded gently.


    "We''ll see when the timees."


    When it was finally time to say goodbye, Miranda''s eyes grew bright and wet. She threw her arms around M, voice thick with tears. "Just promise me you''ll be careful, okay?"


    M broke into a smile. "It''s just a trip home. I''ll be back in a few days. We''re not saying goodbye forever-no need to get all sentimental."


    Miranda pressed her face into M''s shoulder, shaking her head and clinging tighter, unable to say another word. They stood like that for a long time, until thest boarding call echoed through the terminal and Miranda finally let go.


    "Take care of Jade for me, will you? I''ll be back before you know it." M gave a final wave, exchanged a look with Forrest, and together they walked through the gate.


    Pembroke Estate, Kingsford.


    Adrian sat on the living room sofa, sulking, surrounded by a mess of broken toys littered across the carpet. A housekeeper hovered nearby, gathering up the debris.


    Scenes like this had be routine in the Pembroke household. Ever since the incident with Mr. Julian, the Pembrokes had demanded answers from the Montgomerys. The Montgomery family, in their own strange fashion, had delivered their answer by sending over their youngest son-Adrian. Until the matter was resolved, Adrian would stay here as a sort of living guarantee.


    With one entric Sophia and the oddball Mr. Julian already in residence, the Pembroke staff barely batted an eye at these new developments. Nothing surprised them anymore.


    Still, the Montgomery boy was a trial. His temper was worse than Julian''s—who was already infamous for his moodiness and sleepwalking.


    Today''s outburst was just thetest in a string of tantrums.


    "I want to go home! When are you going to let me go home? I want my mom!" Adrian shouted, one foot nted on the sofa as he red at the man across from him-Nathaniel Pembroke, who sat cross-legged on the opposite couch, typing away on hisptop.


    Nathaniel didn''t even look up. He recited the same line he''d repeated a dozen times today, voice t and weary: "When Julian wakes up, when this is all sorted, when my sister approves, or when your familyes to fetch you."


    "I didn''t push him!" Adrian yelled.


    "Mm-hmm," Nathaniel replied, eyes still glued to his screen.


    Would it help if he believed Adrian? Would it matter? The only opinion that counted was his sister''s. He couldn''t even go into the office these days he was stuck working from home, babysitting a furious child. Frankly, he felt as helpless as Adrian did.  ?wnovel


    Whoever said looking after kids was easy had clearly never met Adrian.


    He''d warned Sophia, back when Julian started at the new school, that putting the two boys together was bound to end badly. Sophia hadn''t listened—or rather, she had. This was exactly what she wanted: break everything down to build it anew.


    Well, things had certainly fallen apart. Now Julian was in the hospital, unresponsive, and when Nathaniel got the call, he''d been so shocked he could barely function.


    To be honest, he still didn''t really understand how it had all gone so wrong. He''d been nervous when Julian first started school, but the boy had seemed better-eating more, no longer threatening to run away from home. Then, out of


    nowhere, he''d fallen out of


    down the stairs,


    and rumors started flying that Adrian had pushed him.


    Adrian denied it furiously, but every time Nathaniel asked for details, the boy mmed up, refusing to exin, only to end up screaming for his mother.


    What a mess.


    Nathaniel rubbed his aching temples, nced sideways—and narrowly ducked as another toy came flying his way.


    "I don''t care! You''re all mean! Give me my phone back! I need to call my mom!" Adrian shrieked, hurling toys across the room, the sound of shattering ss punctuating his rage.


    Nathaniel''s head felt ready to explode.


    Someone-anyone-please save me.


    As if in answer to his silent prayer, a housekeeper appeared, ushering in a striking


    woman who swept past the staff with a warm, easy smile.


    "Nathaniel," she called, "Sophia was worried you''d be overwhelmed, so she sent me to help out."