Page 18 of Of Vows and Betrayal

Me: And I didn’t like watching Paloma die.

I see the three dots appear and disappear.

I’m about to remind him who he owes his loyalty to when his next message appears.

Derek: What you are making me do is cruel.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a deep breath.

Derek: She’s fine, nothing is amiss. She’s just on lockdown for some reason.

Me: Was that so hard? Why do you always have to make me work so hard for it?

The dots appear and disappear again.

Derek: You used to have a heart.

I won’t lie—that hurts because I still do. It’s just in tattered pieces.

I put my phone away and walk toward the shop, which now stands closed and empty. The windows are covered with a layer of dust, the once bright and cheerful sign now faded and weatherworn. I get the key out of my pocket, the estate agent was far too eager to get rid of it, and I push open the door, the creak echoing in the silence. Inside, the shop feels like a ghost of its former self, with dust dancing in the sunlight and the faint scent of dried petals still in the air.

I walk over to a corkboard covered in old photos.There’s one of Ophelia as a child, dirt-smudged and grinning, holding a bouquet of wildflowers. Next to it, she’s with her mother, both of them smiling brightly. The images are faded, but the love and warmth in them are still clear.

I hear a soft noise behind me and turn to see an elderly woman entering the shop. Her eyes are wary but kind.

“Can I help you?” she asks, her voice soft.

“Just looking around,” I say, my voice steady. “This place… it’s nice.”

“I saw you yesterday with Ophelia.”

I curse internally; coming here this early on is stupid, but I want to know more about her, and I need a way in.

I nod. “Yes, ma’am, I work for her father.”

“Oh.” She takes a step back, tightening her woolen cardigan around herself.

“It’s not like that,” I add quickly. “I was hired to be her bodyguard.”

She relaxes a little but remains close to the door. “Is she with you?”

I shake my head. “No, she’s at home, but she seemed so affected by the visit yesterday.”

“You wanted to see why?” she asks, coming closer again.

“Exactly.”

She nods, a small smile tugging at her lips. “It was Ophelia’s mother’s shop. They both loved it here.”

“I can tell,” I say, looking around. “Seems like a lot of love went into this place.”

“It did,” she says, her voice softening. “Diana was a wonderful woman.”

I turn back to the photos. “She must miss her a lot.”Thisfeeling I can relate to—losing someone you loved deeply—and I think it’s an angle I can use to gain her trust.

“Every day,” the woman replies, her eyes glistening. “Every single day.” She shakes her head. “When Diana got sick, Phee really tried to hold down the fort. We tried to help—all of us, but it was so difficult.”

I nod absentmindedly. “Do you mind if I look around a bit?” I ask, wanting to soak in more of the atmosphere.

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