BENEATH THE FACADE
Behind the façade of wealth and power, a web of secrets awaits.
Chapter 41
Caleb's POV:
The first time I felt it—really felt it—we were sitting beneath the old neem tree behind Ava’s house. Just the three of us. Me. Ava. Alex. Like nothing had changed. Like time hadn’t pulled us in different directions and stitched new layers into our lives.
The late afternoon sun was melting into the horizon, casting gold across the walls and painting shadows over the yard. That part of the day always felt sacred somehow—quiet, slow, forgiving. You could hear birds in the distance, and the breeze carried the soft sweetness of guava from a nearby tree. It was the kind of air that made you want to close your eyes and believe in simpler things.
Ava came out holding a tray—banana bread, still warm, with the edges a little too brown. She laughed as she set it down on the bench between us, brushing flour off her dress.
"Don’t judge it too quickly," she said, handing us cold drinks. "I bu
