Chapter 2

"Piper, you are pushing Austin too far."

The call from Austin's mother came earlier than I expected.

Early the next morning, before I had even finished breakfast at the hotel.

"Mrs. Vance."

Silence hung over the line for two seconds.

"What did you just call me?"

"We broke up. I shouldn't be calling you 'Mom' anymore."

"Broke up?" Her voice exploded with offended rage. "You think you can just call it quits like that? What about the baby in your belly?"

"Didn't you tell me not to keep it?"

"I told you to get rid of it for your and Austin's own good! That baby's chart clashes with Austin. The psychic confirmed it. Keeping it will ruin your marriage!"

"We don't have a marriage anymore."

"Piper Hayes, don't you dare think you can act lawless just because Austin spoils you. Let me tell you something: keep the baby or don't, but you do not get to use that child to manipulate my son."

"I'm not manipulating him. I just left."

"Left? Where could you possibly go?"

I didn't answer.

She rambled on, repeating the same points: stop making a scene, come back and talk like an adult, Austin had already promised to handle things, learn to control your temper.

When she finished, I simply said, "Mrs. Vance, I respect your decision. Please respect mine."

Then I hung up.

Just as I set the phone down, there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was room service, I opened it, only to find Chloe standing outside.

She was holding an insulated bag.

"Piper! It's so good to finally meet you."

I didn't step aside.

"Austin told me you moved into a hotel, so he asked me to check on you."

"That won't be necessary."

"I'm already here," she said, nudging the bag forward a little. "It's fish maw and chicken soup. Great for the stomach. I simmered it for three hours last night."

I didn't take it.

Her smile never wavered as she set the bag down on the floor by the door.

"I'll just leave it here. Drink it whenever you're hungry."

Just as I was about to close the door, she suddenly added something.

"Piper, honestly, I also came because I wanted to tell you something. Austin has been under an immense amount of pressure lately—work stuff, plus everything between you two. He was over at my place last night until two in the morning before he went home."

Last night at ten, he had texted me: *I'll come pick you up tomorrow.*

So after sending that text, he went straight to her place.

Chloe seemed to realize what she had let slip and quickly covered her mouth. "Oh, please don't misunderstand! He just wanted someone to talk to. We've been like that since we were kids.

You're the only one in his heart. I've told him so many times that you're a wonderful girl and he needs to cherish you."

Every word pretended to stand up for me.

Every word was designed to remind me that she knew him far better than I ever would.

"Thank you."

"Please stop fighting with Austin. He's clumsy with his words, but he truly cares about you."

"Right."

"I'll get going now. Don't forget to drink the soup. You're carrying a baby, you can't go hungry."

She turned and left.

The door closed, and I sat back on the edge of the bed.

A message popped up from Austin: "Did Chloe stop by? She's really sweet. You two should spend more time together."

Immediately followed by another: "I'll come pick you up after work this afternoon. Don't run off."

I pulled out the hotel notepad and copied down the travel checklist my aunt had sent over.

Visa cleared tomorrow. Flight confirmed the day after. Bank paperwork this afternoon.

Just as I finished writing, my phone lit up again.

Austin's mother had sent a screenshot on SnapChat.

It was a chat between her and Chloe.

Chloe had texted: *Auntie, Piper wasn't looking too well today. I'm going to drop by and see her, maybe try to talk some sense into her.*

Austin's mother replied: *Good girl. Thank you for doing this.*

Chloe wrote: *It's nothing! We're all family, after all.*

Austin's mother forwarded that screenshot to me with an added note: *Look at Chloe. Look how sensible and considerate she is. If you were half as easy to deal with, I wouldn't have to be hard on you.*

I stared at the screen.

Suddenly, everything became crystal clear. Chloe had supposedly only been back for two months. Yet Austin's mother called her a "good girl," and Chloe called her "Auntie" with a practiced, polished intimacy.

Two months wasn't enough time for that. That dynamic had been cultivated for much longer.

I put down my phone, grabbed my purse, and walked out.

As I passed the front desk, the clerk called out to me.

"Ms. Hayes, someone left this for you."

A bouquet of pink carnations. The card read: *Don't be sad, Piper. Everything will be okay. —Chloe.*

I glanced at it and said to the clerk, "Throw it in the trash, please."

Stepping out into the street, I texted Maya: "Look into something for me. When did Chloe start getting in touch with the Vance family before she came back?"

Maya replied: "What are you suspecting?"

"I suspect she didn't just come back two months ago."