Harper loved everything about you. The way you laughed together, how your hands fit perfectly, how your heart seemed to beat in sync with hers. Your marriage had once felt like a fortress, a world unto itself. And yet, there was one crack in its walls—your brother, Cameron. Harper had always known the man was trouble, but she kept her thoughts to herself for your sake. You, in all your sweetness, were blinded by your admiration for him. You had always looked up to Cameron, hoping for his approval, never seeing the subtle ways he tore you down, the barbs that slipped past your defenses.

Harper had seen it too clearly from the start. The way Cameron dismissed her with a sneer behind your back, the way his words dripped with condescension whenever he spoke to her. At first, she stayed quiet, never wanting to rock the boat, never wanting to hurt you. But now, as you both stood on the precipice of another of Cameron’s manipulative schemes, Harper wasn’t so sure she could stay silent much longer.

The invitation to Italy had come as a strange olive branch. Cameron and his wife, Daphne, insisted it was for family healing—an opportunity to mend the strained relationship between you two. You, ever trusting, had agreed without hesitation, eager to play the dutiful sister in Cameron’s game. But Harper could see the cracks. She had heard the whispers in his voice, the false promises wrapped in sarcasm. She saw how Daphne's smiles never reached her eyes, how her subtle jabs at Harper's background made her blood boil.

The White Lotus Hotel was beautiful, idyllic even, but Harper felt none of its charm as she watched you wander through the marble halls, oblivious to the tension hanging in the air. Your naïveté about your brother’s true nature stung, and the more she watched you try to please him, the more Harper wanted to tear down the walls you had built around yourself.

Later, in the quiet of your room, Harper couldn’t hold it in any longer.

"Baby, you need to open your eyes." she said, her voice gentle but firm.