I tossed and turned, thinking about my father’s whispered warning and Derek’s haunted face.

The next morning, I arrived at the Solar Reach offices early.

The sun was just rising over the Bay, casting a pale pink glow across the solar panels on our roof.

Priya was already at her desk, typing furiously on her laptop.

“Good morning, Sarah,” she said, looking up. “The keynote slides are finalized.”

“Thank you, Priya,” I said, pausing by her desk. “Any calls?”

“None yet,” she said. “But your mother’s assistant called twice yesterday after you left.”

“Did she leave a message?” I asked.

“Just that Mrs. Mitchell expects you to attend the dinner tonight at the house,” Priya said.

“I’m not going,” I said.

Priya nodded, not asking any questions. She knew the family dynamic all too well.

I walked into my inner office and shut the door.

I tried to focus on my speech, but the words on the screen blurred together.

By noon, my phone had not rung.

By three o’clock, the silence from Derek was deafening.

I knew the dinner party was scheduled for seven.