Chapter Twenty-two

Two hours had passed, and Scott still hadn’t returned. Lydia remained under the umbrella, lying on her stomach with her AirPods in, letting the music distract her. The ocean breeze brushed softly against her skin, and the rhythmic crashing of waves helped soothe her unease—until a sudden shadow cast over her, blocking the sunlight.

Thinking Scott had finally come back, Lydia turned her head with a smile and said, “Scott, you’re back. I thought you weren’t going to come out, so I—”

She stopped mid-sentence. It wasn’t Scott.

Startled, Lydia quickly sat up, her expression shifting as she spoke in a guarded tone, “Who are you?”

The man took a step back, realizing her sudden change in demeanor. He raised his hands slightly in apology and said, “I’m really sorry. I thought you were my fiancée. You look just like her… except for your eyes.”