Chapter Twenty Two

LARA

The lunch setting was picturesque in a way that almost felt unreal. We sat at a stone table shaded beneath a tangle of flowering vines, the ocean sighing in the distance, a mild breeze ruffling the linen napkins. Birds chirped lazily in the canopy above. It was almost aggressively tranquil — the kind of scene meant to unsettle anyone used to sharp angles and glass walls.

Dr. Vivian Clement wa