Chapter 10

The French countryside unfolded in soft hues of green and gold, a patchwork of fields stretching beyond the small house Diana had rented on the outskirts of a quiet village. It was a far cry from the villa’s polished floors and suffocating silence, a modest two-bedroom with peeling paint and a garden overrun with wildflowers. She stood at the kitchen window, watching Lily chase a butterfly through the grass, her laughter a melody Diana hadn’t heard in months. They’d been here three weeks, a fragile new beginning stitched together with hope and determination. Diana had chosen France on instinct far enough to escape Ryan’s reach, close enough to feel the echoes of a life she could rebuild. She’d enrolled Lily in a local school, a quaint building with chalk-dusted walls and a teacher who smiled at her halting French. The first day had been hard Lily clinging to her hand, eyes wide with fear but she’d adapted, her resilience a quiet strength Diana clung to. Now, she spent her days j