Page 78 of What Doesn't Kill You…

"Uh, Katrina," Violet said. "Wasn't Rodrigo coming over here this morning anyway? Maybe he could help Max with his stuff." And look after him, seeing as his bodyguard had been hijacked by her family.

"Already on it." Katrina held up her phone.

A few minutes later, Violet handed Max over to Rodrigo and closed the door behind him. She turned to survey the mess her family had made of her living area. There was makeup, hair stuff, and jewelry everywhere. Why there needed to be so much junk for one person, she didn't know. All she'd planned to do was put on the ugly dress, slap on some lip gloss, and call it good. Now her mother and sister were discussing hairstyles, while Katrina got out the clothes steamer to get the wrinkles out of her dress, and her grandmother sat in the midst of everything—judging Violet.

Her mother hurried toward her. "Go have a shower while we sort your dress. Then we'll start on the rest of you." She tucked Violet's hair behind her ears, the way she'd done when Violet was a child. "You are going to be such a beautiful bride." She sniffed with emotion. "Even if it kills me."

"I swear," Violet said. "If you start crying, I will shoot you."

Her mother laughed. "You've always had a dark sense of humor. Now go."

Violet hadn't been joking. "Could somebody at least order some food," she called as she walked into the doorless bathroom. "I'm starving. And nobody comes in here, understood. The bathroom is off limits until I'm done."

"She's always been shy," she heard her mother say to Katrina. "I've no idea where she gets it from."

With a growl, Violet climbed into the shower.

She didn't dally in there either, for fear her family would get up to no good while left unsupervised. Katrina clearly wasn't a good influence. It was obvious she let the Lee women push her around.

When she came back out of the bathroom, wrapped in a complementary white terry robe that dwarfed her, she found her mother standing staring into her closet. On hearing Violet, she turned, tears in her eyes.

"Oh baby," she said. "You chose the perfect thing to wear for your wedding. I can't wait to see it on you."

"Really?" Violet looked past her into the closet, expecting to see the ugly, cheap dress Katrina had bought to bolster their cover story.

But that wasn't what she found.

Hanging from the hook high on the wall, placed there for wedding dresses, was a white two-piece suit, made up of wide-legged pants and a form-fitting waistcoat. It was clear both pieces had been tailored to fit her petite form. Violet approached the outfit with wonder, smoothing her fingers over the soft material. She wasn't sure what the fabric was called, but it was heavy enough to hold its shape while still being cool enough to wear in the Caribbean weather. The outfit was similar to a man's suit, but without the jacket, and made to fit her. And it was stunning.

"How?" she asked absently.

"Katrina steamed it," her mother said. "Clothes always look so much better once they've been steamed."

"I mean…" She trailed off because she realized she couldn't ask her mother where the ugly dress had gone.

"Mum," Jasmine called and her mother hurried into the living room.

Katrina came up beside Violet and lowered her voice. "It was sitting there when I opened the bag," she said, wide-eyed. "It has to have been Max."

A strange warmth started in the center of Violet's chest and slowly spread outward. "He shouldn't be spending his money on stuff like this," she said. "He doesn't have much left."

"I guess he thought it was important." Katrina flashed a smile before going to join the others.

"Do not put that outfit on until you've had your hair and makeup done," her mother snapped from the other room.

Reluctantly, Violet closed the closet door and turned to find her grandmother watching her, with those unreadable eyes of hers that seemed to see everything. It was clear she was going to be a problem.

Violet's phone buzzed and, grateful for the distraction, she checked the screen to find it was a text from Max.

I forgot about rings, he wrote, and, weirdly, they don't sell them on the island. Guess they figure couples will turn up with them.

Violet let out a groan, and then perked up at the thought this might be excuse enough to postpone the wedding. She texted back. I'm going to tell my family and see if this will get us out of having the ceremony.

The moron sent back laughing emojis.

Thrusting the phone into her pocket, she stalked into the living area, delighted to see there was food on the dining room table. She took a seat and helped herself to coffee and pastries. Her gran strolled over to sit beside her, making Violet feel nervous all over again.

"We've got a problem," Violet told her family, trying hard not to look too happy about it. "I don't think we can have the ceremony today."