Evelyn POV 

Dana’s message came out of the blue late in the evening. "Can we meet tomorrow? I’m worried about you."

For a moment, I stared at the screen, wondering if I’d imagined it. Dana wasn’t the type to check in unless she had an ulterior motive. Still, curiosity tugged at me. What could she possibly want? Her concern felt as genuine as a plastic pearl, but I decided to play along.

The next afternoon, I walked into the café, a quiet little spot tucked into the corner of the city. Dana had chosen the table by the window, naturally. She was already seated, her designer sunglasses perched on her...