Arka did not answer immediately.
And that was the first mistake.
Aluna saw it. Felt it. The hesitation that fractured the illusion he had spent so long building around her.
It lasted less than a second.
But it was enough.
His eyes held hers, steady as always, yet something deeper flickered beneath the surface. Not panic. Not guilt.
Calculation.
It made her stomach twist.
“You’re quiet,” she said softly.
Her voice did not tremble. That surprised her more than anything.
He stepped toward her slowly.
“Where did you hear that name?”
There it was.
A question.
Not denial.
Not reassurance.
Her fingers curled tightly into her palms.
“That’s not an answer.”
His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
“You shouldn’t concern yourself with irrelevant people.”
Irrelevant.
The word stru
