The Mistress
“He told me we have the same eyes. He said he’s my real family. He said Daddy is just a ‘guardian.’ What’s a guardian, Mommy?”
The words felt like a physical blow. I looked toward the house and saw Zander standing in the doorway, watching us. The look of agony on his face was profound. He was a man who had built his entire identity on being our protector, our “guardian,” and now, Julian was using that very word to make him sound like an outsider.
“A guardian is someone who loves you so much they’d do anything to keep you safe,” I told Ethan, though my voice felt hol