Chapter 13: Separation

As the car pulled back into the villa driveway, Nora inhaled softly and said, quietly, under her breath, “Oh, shit.”

Another car was there, parked by the garage - one that she knew quite intimately.

It was her mother’s white Porsche. Colette shared a look with her as they both stepped out of the car and Nora took a breath through her teeth. “Don’t panic, but my parents are here,” she explained, with an awkward smile.

“WHAT?” Colette said a little too loudly, covering her mouth. She wasn’t ready to meet them, and from what she knew about Nora’s mother, the feeling was mutual. “What are we going to –” her sentence was cut off by the front door swinging open, and Colette’s words died in her throat.

Standing there at the entrance was Nora’s mother, Eveline Berry, her eyes full of fury. She began down the steps as gracefully as a swan, though her expression changed when she set her eyes on Colette.