Chapter 42

RAINA

I didn’t even bother forcing a smile. My patience was far too thin, and my mood too sour to entertain any pretense of civility. “Hi, and bye,” I said curtly, hoping to escape without further interaction.

But of course, she grabbed my arm.

“Raina, wait,” Alex’s mother said, her tone unusually sweet, dripping with a sugary kindness I’d never heard from her before. If I didn’t know better, I might’ve believed she was trying to be genuinely pleasant. But I knew better.

Her grip on my arm tightened as she continued, her voice smooth and calculated. “You know, since you’re still married to Alex, wouldn’t it make sense to move back in with us? Or…” She tilted her head slightly, like she was about to offer me the most brilliant solution to all my problems. “Since you’re a Graham, you could always buy us a bigger property to live in. Somewhere more spacious, more elegant—something fitting for a family of our status. Or, if you really hate living with us that muc