Recipe for Redemption

Stella

The weight of the world feels like it’s pressing down on my shoulders like a leaden weight, and just when I think it can’t get any heavier, Vance appears in the doorway of my office.

“Is everything okay, Stella?” he asks, and there’s a genuine concern in his eyes that almost—almost—makes me want to believe in him again.

I hesitate, my eyes darting to my phone with Tessa’s unsent text. But