Startled by what she had just heard, Marta's eyes widened as if she had been struck directly in the chest.

“What are you saying, young lady?” she asked, nearly breathless.

“It's the truth, Mom,” Luana replied, her voice low and trembling. “I noticed that man kept looking at me on the plane. And… as wrong as it sounds now, I liked the attention. It made me feel seen. So I ended up teasing him. I just wanted... to distract myself from everything that had happened at the ranch, and I thought it wo