Chapter 66: Start Again

The quiet between Amelia and Gray felt fragile, like a thin thread stretched tight—ready to snap or hold, depending on the next breath. Gray was about to say something—something soft and true—when the door to the garden room swung open abruptly. “Gray… Mom said—” Isabel’s voice cut through the stillness. Her eyes landed on Amelia, and they widened as if she’d just walked into a secret she wasn’t meant to see. “Lia… you… you’re here! I… I…” Isabel’s words stumbled over themselves. Her cheeks flushed deep crimson. Before either of them could say anything, she spun around and hurried from the room, leaving behind a swirl of awkward silence. Gray blinked, then glanced at Amelia. “That was unexpected.” Amelia’s heart beat faster—a mix of relief and anxiety. Isabel didn’t know she was her