Loriana turned slowly, her whole demeanor changing. The challenge in her eyes disappeared, replaced by a soft, startled look. “Oh, Dominic,” she said sweetly, holding up the pastry box. “I made these for you. I stopped by to drop them off, and your lovely wife invited me in. She’s been so kind… she even said I should stay for dinner.”
My jaw tightened. Dinner, huh? She was lying through her perfect teeth.
Dominic’s glare softened a little when he looked at her. “Loriana’s just my neighbor’s niece,” he said, turning toward me. “We grew up together, that’s all. Like family. She went abroad for a while, that’s why you haven’t met her.”
I stared at him. In a calm way he said it. At the ease in his voice when he spoke her name.
He didn’t even notice that my hands were shaking.
He didn’t even notice how broken I looked.
He just kept smiling... like there was nothing wrong at all.
Neighbor’s niece? Wow.