Chapter 81

Instead of waiting for Clifford, Latisha took a cab to Lambert Manor alone.

As evening descended, a misty rain fell over Etherea City, shrouding the architecture in a haze.

Upon arriving, Latisha got out, carrying a bag of fruit she'd bought from a roadside stand. It didn't matter what she brought; she knew Polly would find fault with it anyway.

Lambert Manor was already buzzing with activity, its driveway and courtyard lined with cars.

Wallace had a daughter, Yolanda, from his first marriage. She'd been married off young in a strategic alliance, and tonight, she was here with her husband and their two children. Clifford and his sister, Renata, were Polly's children. Then there was the youngest son, the one Wallace had brought home from an affair. His birth mother had reportedly died of an amniotic fluid embolism during childbirth, so Wallace had taken him in. Polly had raised the boy, but with a distinct lack of care reserved for another woman's son, her neglect had shaped him into a good-for- nothing playboy.

The moment Latisha stepped through the gate, the sound of children playing reached her ears. Their innocent laughter was like a thousand tiny needles piercing her heart, and a dull ache spread through her chest.

She stood in the courtyard under her umbrella as the two children charged toward her. The older one, a boy of about seven, ran right into her legs.