Riley POV
I did not mean to overhear their argument.
After Elena left the living room, I took the children upstairs because they were far too quiet, and that alone told me they had heard more than they should have. Sophie held my hand all the way to her bedroom, while the twins followed without their usual pushing, shouting, or whispered plans for revenge. I tried to make the moment feel normal by asking whether they wanted to watch a movie, but none of them answered with much interest.
Elena’s visit had changed the entire mood of the house.
Even after the front door closed behind her, it felt as though she had left something cold behind.
I helped Sophie change out of her dress, then sat beside her while she removed the ribbons from her braids. She kept glancing toward the hallway, as
