Author's POV
The butterfly-shaped birthmark on her shoulder was fresh—a tattoo she'd gotten after discovering her pregnancy.
She'd planned to use it to convince Lucius the baby was his.
The strategy had been simple: dress in Viya's typical clothing, get Lucius drunk enough to confuse them, let him see the birthmark and assume he'd slept with his wife.
The plan had failed spectacularly. That night when she'd brought Lucius home from the bar, he'd seen the mark and done nothing but cry.
Apologized over and over while tears streamed down his face, too guilt-ridden over his feelings for Viya to touch another woman.
But now that tattoo was serving a purpose she'd never imagined.
Every Hawthorne in the room fell silent as they stared at the butterfly mark.
Even Elizabet
