Back at Fiona's apartment, soft music played in the background as mother and daughter sat together on the couch, glasses in hand.
At first, it looked like a peaceful evening — two women sharing a quiet drink. But Fiona soon noticed something was off.
Her mother wasn't sipping her wine. She was gulping it down, glass after glass, as if trying to drown something heavy clawing at her chest.
"Mom, slow down," Fiona finally said, setting her own glass aside. "Just what are you so upset about?"
Ester didn't respond immediately. She simply stared at the rim of her glass, her lips pressed tightly together before taking another long drink.
Fiona sighed, leaning back. After the embarrassment she'd endured yesterday, she'd been grateful for a free day — no shoots, no cameras, no forced smiles. She'd planned to spend the day clearing her mind, going over what Venus had told her, and figuring out her next move.
But that peace had lasted all of twenty minutes.
