Chapter 10

• The sun streamed through the curtains of Maya’s room as she stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the soft folds of her dress. Her heart felt heavy with a mixture of emotions. She was back in Country Z for the first time in five years, not for work, not for herself, but for her mother’s wedding.
• Her mother had called months ago, her voice filled with excitement as she shared the news. Maya had been surprised; she hadn’t even known her mom was seeing anyone seriously. But she had promised—promised to be there to support her mother no matter how complicated things felt. Now, standing in the quiet of the guest room at Jane’s house, Maya felt the weight of that promise.
• The wedding was set to take place at an exclusive venue just outside the city. The man her mother was marrying, Victor Castellano, was someone Maya knew little about. From the few conversations with her mom, she had pieced together that Victor was wealthy, influential, and, unsettlingly, rumored to have ties to the Mafia. Her mother had brushed it off, insisting Victor was a kind and generous man who treated her like a queen.