ken tension, the echoes of flashing cameras and relentless questions still lingering in their minds. The staff stood silently,
rd, it was everything she had wanted. And when he declared her as someone special,
ouldn't l
t
e let her fingers trail lightly over her wrist, a subtle touch, hesitant.
nked against the counter as he poured himself a drink, swirling the whiskey bef
to make her next words sound believable. "The things yo
glass down with a deliberate th
ly, playing the role of a concerned lover. "I don't wa
sence overpowering. "Crystal played her part well, acting like the innocent victim, but I made sure the w
e were absorbing his words.
yourself she was worthless. The more you erase
tness, her fingers ghosting over his che
studied her. Then, without another word,
o, her expression
nd the doors, she turned, her lips c
t was
t a stain in Christian
ping into the life s
-
he grand hallways, once filled with chatter and movement, no
Ilda stood alone, her slender fi
ered with anothe
table. This was the third time the phone had rung despite her
ne was watching, she finally a
hissed, he
the other end. "You're get
s a good time to be calling me?" she whispered fiercely,
with something dangerous. "You might be living the dream now, playing h
ed. "I haven't fo
m where I'm standing, it looks like
nease curling in her stomach. "I told you to g
pa
ice dropped
you don't, I'll remind you
ghtly as she pulled the phone away from her ear
d, trying to calm
could fully g
so
shift i
stiff
he turned
a warm smile as she turned to Olivia, who was se
ly, tucking her phone awa
for a moment before she spoke. "Who
tion. "Oh, it was just my younger brother. He's not feeling to
ed slightly, her lips pres
, just a little under the
with her. Though she hadn't caught any of the conversation, her
Instead, she offered a small smil
Ilda replied, keep
fted, her brows furrowed, a flicker of suspic
fingers digging into her lap as
a suspect
lse qu