Chapter 27

Lena Carter came out of the kitchen wearing an apron, holding a plate of freshly made food. Her face lit up when she saw me, acting all warm and familiar. “You’re back? Come try this—I made it just the way Henry likes. He used to ask for it all the time.” She welcomed me in like she owned the place. Henry Smith was on the couch reading a newspaper. When he noticed me, he didn’t even flinch—just gave me his usual calm look, like I wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Honestly, I didn’t even know how to respond. Everything—the prison, Dad’s death—had drained me. I had no energy left for love or hate. I just wanted peace. But peace doesn’t mean pretending the past didn’t happen. And it definitely doesn’t mean making nice with someone like Lena. She could fake kindness and throw smiles at me all she wanted. I couldn’t return the favor. I didn’t even bother hiding my disgust—I just turned around and left. No wonder Henry fell for Lena. With her level of acting and patience, I’d be impressed