Chapter 1:

The Return Home

The tires crunched over the gravel driveway as I pulled up to the sprawling family villa. After a grueling semester of finals, being back here felt like stepping into another world luxurious, quiet, and far removed from my cramped dorm life. I grabbed my suitcase from the trunk, my sundress clinging to my curves in the warm evening air. At 22, I’d filled out more than I had in high school, something I’d become increasingly aware of.

The front door swung open before I could reach it. Marcus my stepfather stood there, tall and broad-shouldered, wearing a fitted black button-down that strained against his muscular...