Chapter 166
The swing set creaked. Back and forth. Back and forth.
Liora stared at her shoes, scuffing the woodchips on the ground. It hadn’t always been like this. When she was abroad, sometimes she wouldn’t see Mom for two, maybe three months. But the phone never stopped ringing. Every single day, like clockwork. And whenever she called, even if it was the middle of the night there, Mom would pick up. She’d rush home just to cook Liora’s favorite soup.
But now? She has called four times and mom had given her four days of silence.
This had never happened before. Not ever.
Harry watched her from the next swing over. He felt like an intruder in a grief he wasn’t supposed to know about. He knew, of course. Everyone in their circle knew the divorce papers were signed. He knew Dante had taken full custody. But hearing it from a six-year-old’s mouth, seeing that raw, confused look in her eyes... it was different. It was ugly.
"Your mom definitely isn’t ignoring your calls on purpose," Harry said, his voice sounding too loud, too fake in the quietness. "She’s probably just... swamped. You know how work gets. It’ll be okay after a while."
Liora nodded slowly. "Yeah. Dad said the same."
Harry’s jaw tightened. He looked away.
Daisy, sensing the heavy cloud, tugged on Liora’s sleeve. "I wanna see Auntie too," she whispered, trying to be brave. "But Uncle Harry says Auntie’s busy. Adults are always busy. It’s ’cause they have to buy us toys, right? It’ll be okay."
"Okay," Liora mumbled.
Harry didn’t say anything else. He hadn’t called Elodie. Not because he thought she was busy. goddess, no. He was terrified to call. The divorce had just gone through. She’d lost custody. If he called, if he asked her to come hang out with Daisy... wouldn’t that just be rubbing salt in the wound? Hey, look at the kid you can’t see anymore. Want to babysit? He wasn’t that cruel. He was just... useless.
Five o’clock hit. The sun was starting to dip, painting the sky a bruised purple. A sleek, black Bentley pulled up to the curb, and Dante got out.