Chapter Ten : Deceit, Desires, And Decisions

Elizabeth's Pov.

In the aftermath of the family dinner, Noah's attention became an elusive presence. It felt as if he'd vanished into the shadows, a silence lingering since the night Mary received distressing news about her husband.

Unease settled within me, suspicion growing that Mary's visitation held more significance than anyone let on. The memory of Noah's unsettling gaze at the dinner table gnawed at my thoughts, leaving me feeling betrayed.

Days turned into an echoing void, with Noah not reaching out. It seemed as though Mary's presence had eclipsed any connection between us, and I grappled with the disconcerting notion that she had somehow claimed his heart.

Lana's sorrowful expression after Mary fainted added another layer to the mystery. When I questioned her, Lana shared her feeling of exclusion, revealing that Victor hadn't invited her to the dinner. A sudden appearance of a woman from his past further fueled her distress.

As Lana expressed her suspicion that Victor might