That afternoon, Silvia sent Kent a message, telling him she’d wait for him so they could have dinner together.
But he never replied.
She reasoned with herself—someone like Kent was probably incredibly busy. A late response was only normal.
Still… it had been the entire afternoon, and not a word from him.
Silvia couldn’t explain it, but a strange emptiness had settled over her heart. It wasn’t overwhelming, just a quiet ache she couldn’t shake, wrapping itself around her chest and lingering no matter how she tried to ignore it.
Never mind.
She decided to call him instead.
She tapped Kent’s number. The phone barely rang before someone picked up—but it wasn’t Kent’s voice she heard. Instead, a woman answered.
The voice sounded oddly familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere before.
“Miss Ashford, Kent’s making dinner for me right now, so it’s not convenient for him to come to the phone. If there’s anything you need, you can tell me. I’ll pass it on to him.”
The woman’s tone was gentle, almost soft.
Suddenly, Silvia remembered—that was Nannie on the other end.
No wonder Kent hadn’t checked his phone all afternoon. He’d been with her.
In that moment, Silvia couldn’t help but notice the parallel to Shipley. It was just the same.
Her lips twisted in a bitter little smile, a flicker of self-mockery in her eyes. She ignored the hollow feeling and let her voice turn cool, even a touch forceful. “I’m his wife. If I have something to say, I’ll say it to him myself.”

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