Until the moment they left, Felicia never brought up what happened the night before. She just acted normal around Max when Anne was there, like nothing was out of the ordinary.
She sat cross-legged on the carpet, helping Anne put together a puzzle. Sunshine poured in through the huge windows, wrapping them both in a soft, golden glow. It was picture perfect—gentle mother, adorable daughter, both looking like they belonged in some beautiful painting.
Max lounged on the sofa, acting like he was watching cartoons, but his eyes kept drifting to Felicia and Anne on the floor. Everything about the scene felt calm and peaceful, as if they could freeze time right there.
Max finally looked away from the TV. “Did you hear about Mr. Carey from Vantech? His wife caught him at the mall yesterday with another woman. And the mistress is pregnant.”
Felicia’s hand paused for just a second as she picked up a puzzle piece, then she kept going, her face completely calm.
For a scandal about a company CEO to spread around was hardly shocking. She just hadn’t expected the news to make its way to Max so quickly. He sounded almost casual about someone else being caught cheating.
She snapped a piece into place. “I don’t really care about other people’s private drama.”
Anne pressed another puzzle piece into the board without missing a beat.
Felicia ran her hand over Anne’s hair. “You’re getting so good at this, sweetheart.”
Anne looked up and flashed a bright, toothy smile.
Max kept watching Felicia, her eyes unreadable. She looked through everything except Anne, as if she was the only thing in the world that really mattered.
His gaze was so intense it was impossible to ignore.
Felicia finally met his eyes. Max smiled a little. “Anne’s starting to look more and more like you, you know.”
It wasn’t until morning, with the sun shining and the sea breeze swirling through the flowers, that Felicia saw it properly. A gorgeous pink and white castle towered over the island. It looked straight out of a fairy tale. Anne darted through the flower beds in a princess dress, chasing butterflies, totally in her element. She really was the princess of this magical place.
It was clear Max had built it all for her. The whole island was his, and the castle was decked out with birthday decorations everywhere.
Felicia already knew how much Max loved Anne, but standing here in this real-life fairy tale left her speechless.
Anne played in the garden, moving around like she’d been here a hundred times before. Max must have brought her here often.
Felicia stood nearby, keeping watch. Her hair was loosely braided and tossed over one shoulder, her white summer dress fluttering in the breeze. With the sunlight turning her skin golden, she seemed to glow.
She was so lost in the moment that she didn’t even notice Max coming up behind her. Not until he slipped an arm around her waist.

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