Kai hesitated for a long moment before lowering himself onto the couch opposite her. His movements were slow and reluctant. His shoulders were tense as though he were walking into judgment. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped too tightly. His heart hammered unevenly in his chest as a gnawing fear curled in his gut.
Did she hear him on the phone? Did she hear Celeste’s name on his lips?
When his eyes lifted, she was already watching him calmly. And the moment their gazes met, her voice slipped through the quiet like a knife.
“I want to make everything clear,” she whispered, her voice steady despite the way it fractured inside her. Her hands rested limply on her lap, twisting against each other as though they were the only anchor keeping her from falling apart.
Her gaz
