Eva, looking uncomfortable, shook her head, forcing me to meet her gaze. The unspoken apology in her eyes was a fresh wound, twisting the knife of betrayal.
"Shefali… So my cousin Ryan, Eva’s special friend, as she might have told you…. has organised a party this evening. It's a celebratory night. Of course, Eva will be there, our sweet co-host. I want you to come. I will come to pick you up.” His fake politeness faltered, but quickly he covered it up.
“I mean, if that’s okay with you? It would be great to have you, for Eva, of course. She will feel more comfortable, so I insist." His voice, though soft and husky, carried an undeniable note of dominance. It wasn't a request; it was an order, thinly veiled beneath a veneer of politeness.
I was still reeling from the earlier confrontation
