Lily jabbed a finger at her daughter's forehead and dragged her by the arm down the stairs, terrified she might try something else.
Inside the room, Hannah stood in her pajamas, arms crossed, looking down at the man on the bed who reeked of alcohol and perfume. The scent was strong, identical to Cora's, and while it might have transferred while she was helping him, she couldn't ignore the practiced ease with which Cora had gone for his belt buckle. She'd clearly done it many times before.
If her mother hadn't stopped her, Cora probably would have put on a show right in front of her.
To be so bold right under her nose... Hannah couldn't imagine what had happened on the way home.
She lowered her gaze and walked into the adjoining guest room.
As for the drunkard on the bed—whether he woke up in the middle of the night to clean himself up, lay there until morning, or fell prey to someone else's opportunism—it had nothing to do with her anymore.
He knew Cora was circling him like a shark, yet he let his guard down completely. If the roles were reversed, people would be accusing her of seduction, of leading him on.
Hannah lay down in the guest bed and replied to a text from Tess. Her friend had found a new job and rented an apartment in a southern coastal city. She'd even found a beautiful seaside condo and was planning to save up to buy it, promising to have Hannah come live with her.
Hannah: [Use the money I sent you. Just buy it!]
Lionel already knew she was siphoning money through jewelry purchases. If he had any shame, he wouldn't dare ask for it back.
Tess: [!!!! Buying a house is a huge deal! Wait until you can come visit, and we'll look at it properly before making a decision.]
Hannah: [Okay. It's late, get some rest.]
After sending the message, Hannah glanced at the time. A sense of unease settled over her. Lionel had left after a call from Sandra, so why was it Cora who brought him home drunk? What had happened in between?
She pulled up the security feed from the garage.

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