~LAYLA~
After quick showers to wash away the spring water and trail dust, Axel and I met in the garden behind our cabin. His hand found mine naturally, like it had always belonged there, our fingers interlacing as we walked the winding path.
"So," he said, guiding me down a stone path lined with lavender. "Tell me about your enlightening swim."
"Victoria and her gossip circle had quite a lot to say about our rushed wedding, my lack of a honeymoon, and whether I'm secretly pregnant."
"Seriously?"
"She basically called our marriage fake. Said you married me out of pity, that I was just convenient rebound material after the Cassandra disaster."
His jaw tightened. "She said that?"
"Oh, it gets better. She implied I trapped you, that you're probably already regretting it." I kicked a pebble off the path. "She also questioned why I'm 'playing businesswoman' when I could be spending your money at spas and shopping on Fifth Avenue."
