Jacob clenched his teeth so hard that the muscles along his jaw stood out like taut cords beneath his skin. His fists trembled faintly at his sides, but he did not move. It was as if some invisible weight had pinned him in place, anchoring him to the ground while humiliation burned through his chest.
His bloodshot eyes fixed stubbornly on the woman in front of him. Each word he forced out seemed dragged through a storm of anger and restraint.
“That’s my friend,” he said, voice low but shaking, “Dylan.”
“Friend?” The woman gave a short, derisive laugh, her gaze shifting toward Dylan Brooks with open disdain.
She looked him up and down, slow and deliberate, as if assessing livestock at a market. No designer labels. No expensive watch. No visible signs of wealth or status. In her world, t
