Eve noticed the gesture the moment Luan’s fingers brushed Ryan’s sleeve.
It was subtle, calculated, the kind of move meant for an audience. Luan laughed softly afterward, tossing her hair with practiced ease before leaning in, too close, as if the years between them had been erased. The touch wasn’t about affection. It was about claim.
It wasn’t meant for Ryan.
It was meant for Eve.
She wanted Eve to know. To remember. That Ryan had once chosen her. That he had once loved her. That maybe, deep down, he still did.
The crowd saw nothing more than a glittering reunion, but Eve caught the message behind the diamonds, the perfume, the smile sharpened into a blade.
She didn’t flinch. Her expression didn’t crack. The diamonds in her ears swayed gently as she tilted her head, her smile seren
