CHAPTER 51

CHAPTER 51
Mila

My eyes widened.

Jade.

She was wearing a bikini...white, delicate, clinging to her like it had been designed for her body alone.

Her arm was looped through Lance’s as if it belonged there, as if that space had always been hers.

And he wasn’t frowning.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t breathe.

I stood frozen at the window, fingers pressed so tightly into the curtain that my knuckles burned, watching the scene below like it was unfolding inside a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

They walked along the shore together.
Lance walked beside her like he belonged there.
Not stiff.
Not cold.
Not angry.
Relaxed.

His shoulders were loose, his steps unhurried, his head tilted slightly toward her as she spoke. Whatever she was saying made her laugh, soft, unrestrained, and the sound drifted upward with the salty breeze, light and careless, as if joy came easily to her.
I felt it then.

That sharp, ugly thing twisting deep in my stomach.
Jealousy.

The realization struck me so suddenly it almost knocked the air out of my lungs. I had no right to it. No claim. No justification. And yet there it was, raw and humiliating, curling around my ribs and squeezing.

She reached out and touched his arm.
Not carefully.
Not hesitantly.
Her fingers brushed his skin like it was natural, like she had done it a thousand times before. Lance didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull away. Didn’t stiffen the way he always did with me.
Instead, he glanced down at her.

His lips curved, not quite a smile, but close enough to make my chest ache in a way that felt unbearable.

I told myself I was imagining it.
I told myself this meant nothing.
But my heart didn’t believe me.

Jade was beautiful in a way that felt effortless. Long dark hair loose down her back, sun-kissed skin glowing under the Sicilian sun, her white bikini hugging her curves as she walked barefoot along the shore, her steps light and confident.

She looked like she belonged here.
Like Sicily itself had shaped her.
Unlike me.
A misplaced wife.

A mistake dressed in borrowed luxury.
Then Lance stopped.
He turned his head slowly.
His gaze lifted...straight to the window.
Straight to me.

My breath caught painfully in my throat.
For a moment, we just stared at each other through distance, glass, and unspoken truths. His expression didn’t change. No surprise. No guilt.

Only awareness.
Like he had known all along that I would be watching.
Like he had expected it.

Jade followed his gaze. She looked up at me, squinting slightly against the light, then smiled, wide and warm, and waved as if we were old friends reunited instead of strangers tangled in something complicated and sharp.

Her friendliness disarmed me.
For a fleeting second, I felt stupid for hating her during those first moments. And then guilt crept in, unwelcome and heavy. She had helped me the other night. She had been kind when she didn’t have to be.

But kindness didn’t erase the way my chest hurt.
Lance turned away from the window, murmured something to her, and continued walking, as if he hadn’t just shattered something inside me.

I stumbled back like the glass had burned my skin, my heart slamming violently against my ribs.
So this was it.

This was Sicily.
By evening, the house felt smaller.
The walls seemed closer, the air heavier, every corner whispering secrets that reminded me I didn’t belong. That I was temporary. Replaceable.

I showered. Changed. Paced. Sat. Stood. Paced again.
My mind replayed the scene relentlessly, her hand on his arm, his relaxed posture, the look he had given me through the window. I hated how much it affected me.
I hated even more that it did.

A soft knock sounded at the door.
“Ma’am?” Viola’s gentle voice floated through. “Dinner will be served shortly.”
“Okay,” I replied, forcing my voice to stay steady.
When she left, I took one last look at myself in the mirror.

I looked… fine. Pretty, even.
But my eyes betrayed me.
Too many thoughts.
Too many questions.
I made my way downstairs slowly.
Lance was already in the dining room.

Relief washed over me when I didn’t see Jade, brief fragile relief that vanished the very next second when she walked in behind me.

I silently prayed for the power to disappear. Or pass through walls. Or cease existing entirely.
She caught my eyes and smiled, stepping toward me without hesitation. Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me in a brief hug.

And damn, it shocked me how good she smelled.
Ugh. Seriously. I should be jealous of her, not mentally cataloguing her perfume.

“How are you?” she asked, worry written all over her face.
“I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.
“How’s your sister?” she asked, hesitating slightly, like she was afraid of the answer.
“Um… she’s fine,” I replied, averting my gaze.
Silence stretched between us, thick and awkward.

“Uh… thanks for that night,” I said, smiling weirdly again.
I mentally face-palmed. What was I even doing? She smiled widely at me again
We walked to the dining table and took our seats.

I shifted awkwardly, then looked at Lance.
“Good evening,” I said coolly.
He glanced at me...then looked away almost immediately.
The embarrassment burned hot. Why did he have to do that in front of her?

“Stop being an ass, Deborah,” Jade snapped, clearly displeased.
Lance shot her a cold look, but beneath the icy exterior, I caught something else.
Playfulness.

“Don’t call me Deborah,” he replied flatly. “Try talking nicely to someone who puked all over you and see how that feels.”

His eyes locked onto mine like he wanted to snap my neck in two.
So he was still angry.

Good.
If he could make me feel small and ashamed, then he deserved a little discomfort too.
“What..” Jade exclaimed, laughing as she looked at me. She raised her hand for a high five.

I glanced at Lance.
His gaze told me plainly that if I accepted it, it would be over for me.

I hesitated, but Jade didn’t care. She grabbed my hand and high-fived me anyway, grinning.
“That must have been epic,” she laughed.
Then she frowned slightly. “Wait..why did you puke? Are you okay?

She reached out and touched my forehead.
Something about her in that moment reminded me of Olivia, and the thought made me smile despite myself
“Hmmm...You are so cute,” she said giggling, She pinched my cheek lightly and smiled.

I flushed, embarrassed and strangely flustered.
“This idiot clearly didn’t tell me about you,” she added, shooting Lance a mock glare.
I stared, stunned.

No one spoke to Lance like that. Not even Olivia dared.
So who exactly was Jade to him?

I frowned, lifting my glass of water and taking a sip..mostly to avoid looking at them.

“I am Lance’s..” Jade started.
She stopped smiling.
“Aunt,” she finished calmly.

I spat the water out, coughing violently as my eyes locked onto her face.
She didn’t look like she was joking.

And Lance didn’t correct her.
The word echoed in my mind, spinning wildly.
Aunt.

Lance’s aunt.
I stared at her, breathless, confused, my heart racing like she has just shown me the day I would die.