My steps stopped again.
A slow smile touched my lips.
Not warm.
Not kind.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I turned back toward her fully this time.
One brow lifted slightly.
“What is this?” I asked quietly. “Did the innocent act finally become too exhausting to maintain?”
Something flickered across her face.
Gone quickly.
But I caught it.
Her lips curved faintly.
No longer fragile.
No longer harmless.
“I just want what’s best for him,” she said. “Wouldn’t it be kinder to step aside?”
A laugh escaped me.
Low.
Sharp.
Almost amused.
“So you can replace me?” I tilted my head slightly. “Sophie… at least aim for originality.”
For one brief second, irritation cracked through her carefully crafted expression.
There it is.
There you are.
Then she stepped closer.
Voice loweri
