Liora’s POV
I told myself I was being ridiculous.
That I had no right to feel anything at all beyond mild annoyance. That whatever reaction stirred in my chest the moment I noticed Alice again was irrational and unnecessary and absolutely not my problem.
None of that stopped the sharp twist of disgust that followed anyway.
She was leaning against the railing near the court, dressed in a way that made it clear she wanted to be noticed, one hand resting lightly on the arm of a man I did not recognize. He was tall, polished, and clearly enjoying the attention she gave him, though his eyes kept drifting elsewhere. Specifically toward Ezra.
That alone would have been enough to sour my mood.
But Alice did not stop there.
Her laughter carried easily across the space, a little too loud, a l
