‘In name only,’ Ivy scoffed. ‘That union ceased to be a true marriage the moment that cad stepped out on you with a hussy.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter. The fact is, I am married. And Jake will never agree to a divorce, especially now that Mum’s given him—’

  Lauren cut herself off, a realisation crashing over her like a bucket of ice water.

  ‘Oh my god,’ she whispered.

  Ivy frowned. ‘What is it?’

  ‘I’ve just realised . . . the reason Mum promoted Jake. It’s her way of making sure we stay together. Forever.’

  The words hung heavily in the air between them, the implications for Lauren’s future hitting her with brutal clarity. Ivy reached out, taking Lauren’s hand in both of hers.

  ‘Lauren, listen to me,’ she said, her voice low and urgent. ‘You cannot let your mother’s machinations dictate your life. You deserve happiness, my darling girl. Real, true happiness. Don’t let anyone take that from you.’

  Tears burned behind Lauren’s eyes. She clung to her grandmother’s hands like a lifeline.

  ‘I don’t know if I can …’ Lauren said, her voice breaking, ‘… stand up to her . . . to walk away from everything I’ve ever known . . .’

  Ivy cupped Lauren’s face, forcing her to meet her gaze. ‘You are stronger than you know, Lauren Elizabeth Deville. You have a fire inside you. Don’t let anyone snuff it out. Promise me.’

  Lauren swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. ‘I promise,’ she whispered.

  And as Ivy pulled her into a hug, Lauren felt the first stirrings of something she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

  Hope.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rain’s eyes fixed on the amber liquid in her glass as if it held the answers to the tumultuous emotions swirling through her mind. How was it possible to fall so hard, so fast? The concept of love at first sight had always seemed like a fairy tale, a pretty fiction that existed only in the pages of romance novels and the lines of saccharine pop songs. Lust, sure. That primal, immediate attraction – that she understood. But love? Real, bone-deep, soul-consuming love? After a mere forty-eight hours? It defied logic.

  And yet, here she was. Her heart, utterly, irrevocably lost to a woman she barely knew. A woman who, by all accounts, was the worst possible choice for . . . whatever this was. An affair? A fling? A prelude to inevitable heartbreak?

  Rain sighed, rubbing at her temples. Maybe this sudden infatuation was just her mind’s way of coping with the stress of Fay’s disappearance. A distraction from the gnawing worry that grew with each passing day. Or maybe it was simply a result of the riot of hormones that Lauren’s mere presence seemed to ignite in her veins.

  ‘Hey, new girl, fancy seeing you here.’

  The familiar voice cut through the fog of Rain’s musings. She turned to find Alex standing behind her, a half-smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  ‘Hey, Alex,’ Rain said.

  Alex cocked her head, indicating to the empty stool beside Rain. ‘This seat free, or are you waiting for someone?’

  ‘Nope, just me on my lonesome,’ Rain said.

  Alex removed her jacket and settled next to her. ‘That doesn’t sound good.’

  ‘It is what it is,’ Rain shrugged, motioning to the bartender. ‘What you drinking?’

  Alex clapped her hands decisively. ‘Beer.’

  ‘Beer it is.’

  The bartender approached to take their orders.

  ‘Two beers, please—’

  ‘And four shots,’ Alex quickly added.

  Rain threw a glance at Alex with raised eyebrows. ‘Going straight for the hard stuff, huh?’

  ‘You know it. Life’s too short for half measures. Sex and alcohol are my two favourite vices,’ Alex said, with a mischievous grin.

  ‘At least you didn’t throw “gambling” into the mix.’

  Alex laughed. ‘Oh, I like a good risk as much as the next girl. Just not the kind that ends with me sleeping on a park bench.’

  The bartender appeared then, setting down two beers and four shots.

  ‘In that case, here’s to calculated risks,’ Rain said, as they clinked their bottles together.

  ‘I’ll drink to that.’

  They each took a swig of beer, followed by a shot. Rain grimaced, slamming the glass back onto the bar.

  ‘Not a fan of shots?’ Alex said, studying Rain’s reaction with a smirk.

  ‘How could you tell?’

  ‘Might have had something to do with the look of regret written all over your face.’

  ‘You’re right. I think I’ll stick to beer,’ Rain said, pushing the extra shot towards Alex, who picked it up and swiftly knocked it back in one gulp.

  ‘I needed that after the day I’ve had,’ Alex said.

  ‘That bad, eh?’

  ‘Yep. Customers and their fucking entitlement and demands. Drives me crazy.’

  ‘Sounds like a grind. How long you been working at the hotel?’

  ‘Five years and counting.’

  Rain let out a low whistle. ‘How come you’ve stuck it out for so long?’

  ‘As opposed to?’

  ‘Finding something you actually enjoy.’

  ‘That’s just it. Unless I became an escort, there’s nothing else.’

  ‘You could always be a beer taster?’

  Alex laughed. ‘Now, that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.’

  ‘There must be some positives about the hotel, though,’ Rain said, treading carefully. ‘At least I hope so, otherwise I’ve made one hell of a bad choice working there.’

  ‘Okay, let’s see. The pay ain’t bad, the people can be cliquey, but on the whole, they’re a laugh, and . . .’ A mischievous smile spread across Alex’s face as she feigned wiping sweat from her forehead. ‘The owner’s daughter, Lauren, is hot.’

  Rain’s stomach dropped at the mention of Lauren’s name. She masked her reaction with a long sip of her beer, hoping her expression betrayed nothing.

  ‘The owner’s daughter, huh?’ Rain feigned nonchalance.

  ‘Yep, I’ve had a major crush on her since day one, but she’s completely out of my league,’ Alex said with a self-deprecating laugh.

  ‘Do I detect a chink in your armour?’ Rain teased.

  ‘Nah, just that married women are more drama than a soap opera. Trust me, I know,’ Alex said, her tone tinged with a hint of bitterness.

  ‘And the downsides?’ Rain asked, genuinely curious.

  ‘Secrets and lies,’ Alex stated simply.

  ‘Sounds like the plot of a suspense novel.’

  ‘Not far off, but there’s an unspoken code. Keep your head down, don’t ask too many questions, and you’ll be fine,’ Alex said, a hint of caution in her voice.

  ‘That’s what I intend to do.’

  Rain signalled to the bartender for another round of drinks.

  ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to get me hammered,’ Alex said.

  Rain forced a laugh. ‘Me? As if.’

  Alex playfully nudged Rain with her shoulder. ‘Just kidding.’

  As their fresh drinks arrived, Rain decided to take a chance to steer the conversation towards her sister.

  ‘Speaking of drama,’ Rain said, ‘what’s the deal with the last person who had my job? The one who left so suddenly?’

  Alex froze, her beer halfway to her lips. Slowly, she lowered the bottle back to the bar. ‘Who told you about her?’

  ‘Mr Larkins mentioned in my interview that she just up and left. I was just wondering if it had anything to do with what you said about secrets.’

  ‘Oh, right. Nah, not much to say about her, really,’ Alex said with a guarded tone. ‘She was an outsider, not much for mingling with us commoners.’

  ‘Really?’ Rain asked, genuinely surprised. That didn’t sound like Fay. She was the most down-to-earth person she knew and happily mixed with people from all walks of life.

  ‘Yeah, she had a habit of rubbing quite a few people up the wrong way,’ Alex said, her expression suggesting it wasn’t a rare occurrence. ‘Heard she got the boot, rather than quit.’

  ‘Any idea why?’

  ‘You’re a nosy one, aren’t you?’ Alex said, raising an eyebrow.

  ‘Not at all. Curiosity just gets the best of me sometimes. Forget I said anything.’

  Alex drained the last of her beer and set the empty bottle down with a decisive thump.

  ‘You know,’ Alex said, her voice dropping an octave as she leaned in close, ‘there are much more interesting things we could be doing than sitting here.’

  Rain’s pulse kicked up a notch at the blatant invitation in Alex’s eyes. There was no denying the attraction that simmered between them, the electric pull of possibility.

  In another life, Rain knew she would have taken Alex up on her unspoken offer without a second thought. Would have let herself be swept away by the thrill of it. But now, with Lauren’s ghost lingering in every corner of her mind . . .

  ‘Yeah, like sleeping,’ Rain sighed, finishing her own drink and pushing back from the bar. ‘I think I’d better call it a night.’

  Disappointment flickered across Alex’s face. ‘Can’t blame a girl for trying.’

  ‘No, you certainly can’t.’ Rain stood, shrugging into her jacket. ‘See you tomorrow?’

  ‘Bright and early,’ Alex said, turning back to the bar and signalling for the bartender’s attention.

  As Rain stepped out into the crisp night air, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. Alex was gorgeous, funny, exactly her usual type. In any other circumstances, they’d probably be tumbling into bed together right now, lost in a haze of pleasure and abandon. But circumstances were what they were, and as much as Rain might wish otherwise, her heart had already made its choice.

  Lauren. It always came back to Lauren.

  Deciding to walk, Rain turned in the direction of her flat.

  Her life was already complicated enough without inviting more trouble. She needed to focus on finding Fay, on getting the answers she came for.

  Anything else was a distraction she couldn’t afford. No matter how tempting it might be.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Lauren sat at her desk, a sense of restlessness thrumming through her veins. The papers scattered before her – seating charts, floral arrangements, menu options – blurred into meaningless scribbles. Once, the role of event planner had filled her with a sense of purpose, a joy in crafting perfect moments for others to cherish. But now, as she stared at the tasteful colour swatches and elegant font choices, all she felt was a hollow ache in her chest.

  Was this what she really wanted to spend her life doing? Obsessing over trivial details, forcing smiles for guests who would forget her name the moment they checked out? It all seemed so . . . pointless. A never-ending cycle of artificial pleasantries and manufactured magic.

  It felt as if she were trapped in a monotonous cycle, suffocating under the weight of expectations placed upon her by some predestined plan that was set out for her before she was even born. She couldn’t shake the feeling of discontentment, the longing for something more, something that truly ignited her passion.

  I need to do something that actually matters to me. But what?

  Lost in her contemplation, Lauren barely registered the gentle knock on her office door before it creaked open. Mr Larkins stepped in with an air of authority that matched the polished gleam of his shoes.

  ‘Good morning,’ his voice carried a hint of formality. ‘I’ve done as you asked. Rain Thomas had her training yesterday and is starting her duties today.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Lauren said, hoping her voice masked the turmoil churning within her.

  Rain was now a silent player in her complex game, and Lauren couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that she might have brought the storm closer than she’d intended.

  ‘I’ve also had Fay Thomas’s locker cleared out. What should we do with her belongings?’

  ‘Burn them for all I care.’

  Mr Larkins nodded before retreating. As the door clicked shut, Lauren pushed herself to focus on the tasks at hand, determined to stay on track with her schedule for the day.

  First up was her meeting with Sydney.

  ‘That’ll be fun,’ she muttered sarcastically.

  She seriously considered cancelling it. Avoiding Sydney would undoubtedly draw attention from their mother, but facing her meant navigating around the looming tension that she knew would hang between them.

  As if summoned by her thoughts, Lauren’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. Sydney’s name flashed on the screen, and for a moment, Lauren simply stared at it, paralysed by indecision. Finally, with a resigned sigh, she picked up.

  ‘Hey, Syd.’

  ‘Hey yourself. Just wanted to let you know I’m running late,’ Sydney’s voice crackled through the phone amidst background chatter.

  ‘Where are you?’

  ‘Getting us a coffee. Thought we’d need something to kick-start our brain cells.’

  Lauren laughed. ‘Great idea.’

  ‘I was thinking . . . maybe a slice of tiramisu to go with? Or is that too indulgent?’

  Lauren envisioned the delectable dessert. ‘Mmm, I think we can make an exception, just this once.’

  ‘Okay, great. See you soon.’

  Lauren disconnected the call, feeling marginally lighter. It was a small olive branch from her sister, but an olive branch nonetheless. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way to move past this ugliness, to be the united front they’d always been.

  Voices drifting through her office door caught Lauren’s attention, particularly when she recognised them as Rain’s and Mr Larkins’s. Instinctively, she rose from her seat, moving silently to stand behind the door, pressing her ear against the cool wood, straining to make out what was being said.

  ‘So, as discussed, your primary duties will involve cleaning and maintaining guest rooms to the highest standard.’

  ‘I should think so, the amount of money they pay to stay here,’ Rain responded.

  The urge to step out into the hallway to see Rain’s face was almost overwhelming, but Lauren held herself in check, hardly daring to breathe until the voices faded away down the corridor.

  She remained by the door, so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps until it was too late. The door flew open without warning, catching her squarely on the forehead and sending her staggering back with a yelp of pain.

  ‘Oh my god, Lauren! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?’

  Sydney rushed into the room, hastily setting down the drinks and a pink bakery box before reaching for her sister. Wincing, Lauren raised her hand to her throbbing forehead. ‘I’m fine. It was my own fault.’

  ‘What on earth were you doing standing behind the door like that?’ Sydney gently removed Lauren’s hand and inspected the area.

  ‘Um, nothing . . . I was just being nosy.’

  Sydney’s eyes narrowed, a slow, sly smile spreading across her lips. ‘It wouldn’t happen to be that gorgeous brunette I just passed in the corridor, would it?’

  A blush heated Lauren’s cheeks, and she knew she’d been caught.

  ‘Maybe,’ she said.

  Sydney’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Wait, seriously? I was just teasing, but . . . Lauren, is this what you were going to tell me about yesterday? The thing that had you all, I don’t know . . . glowy?’

  Lauren bit her lip, then nodded. Sydney let out a soft squeal of excitement.

  ‘Oh my god, okay, you have to tell me everything. And I mean everything. Here, sit.’

  She guided Lauren gently towards the small sofa before grabbing their coffees and the tiramisu. For the next half an hour, the events of the last few days came pouring out of her – the electric first meeting, the stolen kiss, the agonising moment of truth.

  Sydney listened with rapt attention, gasping and sighing in all the right places.

  When Lauren finally fell silent, emotionally wrung out, Sydney reached for her hand.

  ‘So . . . what happens now?’ she asked gently.

  ‘Nothing. I’m married, Syd. I have a child. It’s not like I can just run off into the sunset with her.’

  ‘Says who?’ Sydney countered. ‘Lauren, you deserve to be happy. Really, truly happy. And if this woman, if Rain . . . if she makes you feel something you haven’t felt in a long time . . . isn’t that worth fighting for?’

  ‘It’s not that simple,’ Lauren said, her throat tight.

  ‘Isn’t it? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I can think of a million reasons why you should leave Jake . . . and not a single one why you should stay.’

  ‘Ben,’ Lauren said.

  Sydney’s expression softened. ‘I know you want to put him first. But Lauren . . . staying in a loveless marriage, forcing yourself to be miserable day in and day out . . . how is that good for him in the long run? Don’t you think he deserves to see his mum living happily?’

  A sob caught in Lauren’s throat, and Sydney pulled her into a crushing hug. Lauren clung to her, tears spilling down her cheeks.

  ‘I’m scared,’ Lauren admitted, the words muffled against Sydney’s shoulder. ‘I’m scared of losing everything. Of being alone.’

  Sydney pulled back, cupping Lauren’s face in her hands. ‘You will never be alone, do you hear me? You have me, you have Gran, you have Ollie . . . we are here for you, no matter what. And if you’re not ready to make any big moves, that’s okay. But just . . . don’t write off the possibility of happiness.’

  Lauren sniffled, managing a watery smile. ‘I’ll try.’

  ‘That’s all I ask.’ Sydney pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before settling back against the cushions. ‘Now, what do you say we demolish this tiramisu before we have to get down to business?’

  ‘I think that sounds perfect… Look, before we start,’ Lauren said, her voice tentative as she started to cut the cake, ‘I just wanted to say sorry.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Jake getting the job.’

  Sydney waved her apology away. ‘Don’t be silly. It had nothing to do with you.’

  ‘So, you’re not angry with me?’ Lauren handed Sydney a slice of cake on a napkin.