Kate's warning clung to me like a stubborn shadow as I made my way back to Arec's penthouse. Even after I'd left her hospital room, her words echoed in my mind, replaying over and over with that same intensity she'd used to say them.
"Just… don't trust Joanne too quickly, okay?" Kate's voice had been uncharacteristically sharp, the edge of worry unmistakable. "I know she seems friendly now, but people like her don't change overnight."
It wasn't that I hadn't considered it myself. Joanne's kindness, her sudden willingness to help me plan the wedding, it was unexpected, maybe even a little too perfect. And yet, I wanted so badly to believe her, to think that maybe she'd changed, that this truce she'd extended was genuine.
