Chapter 1

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before my ex-husband, Shawn Payne, let out a chuckle, clearly convinced I was just messing with him.

"You haven't changed a bit, have you? Always trying to pick a fight. I know you're upset that I haven't visited or called you and Tommy these past three years. But honey, my hands were tied. The second I finally cleared all the debts, you were the first person I called. I'll head over to the island the day after tomorrow to pick you two up."

Before I could cut him off, my phone died, and the screen went completely black.

Beside me, my new husband, Kieran Luke, rolled over in his sleep. His arm slid around my waist from behind, pulling me back into the warmth of the covers. After keeping each other up all night, neither of us had gotten nearly enough sleep.

By the time I finally woke up in the afternoon, Kieran had already left for the office. The bodyguards had also dropped my son, Tommy Payne, off at his international school.

Feeling fully recharged, I headed to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, planning to whip up a nice dinner for Kieran and Tommy.

I was in the middle of picking out some fresh lamb chops when a woman's voice drifted over from beside me.

"Summer Lane?"

I looked over. It was Yvonne Sullivan. She had two maids in tow, one of them holding a two-year-old girl.

I didn't even need a DNA test to know whose kid it was—the girl was the spitting image of Shawn.

Yvonne was visibly taken aback, as if I were the last person she expected to run into here. But my attention snapped straight to the heirloom locket hanging around her neck, and a sharp pang shot through my chest.

It was the only keepsake my late mother had left me. Three and a half years ago, Shawn told me he'd accidentally lost it.

Back then, we'd even called the cops. He went three days without sleeping a wink, pretending to search everywhere for it, before apologizing to me with bloodshot eyes. I was heartbroken over it for the longest time.

He knew perfectly well how much that locket meant to me, that it was the only piece of my mom I had left. Yet he lied right to my face just to give it to Yvonne.

Aside from the locket, she was dressed in designer clothes from head to toe, and her jewelry was all high-end luxury pieces. It looked like Shawn had been taking very good care of her over the past three years.

Yvonne flashed me a sweet, faux-friendly smile. "Summer, welcome back."

The provocation beneath her tone was unmistakable. Three years ago, whenever she crossed paths with me, she would lower her eyes submissively and call me "Mrs. Payne."