Autumn
The laughter dies abruptly, cut off as though someone has yanked the plug on a speaker mid-song. The silence that follows is deafening, oppressive in its weight. You could hear a pin drop—it falls that silent. Every pair of eyes in the room snaps to us, wide with shock and disbelief. Even the music playing softly in the background seems to fade into nothingness, as if the entire universe is holding its breath.
Brielle’s expression freezes for half a second before shifting into something far more dangerous. Her perfectly sculpted brows draw together, and her glossy pink lips part as she narrows her eyes at me with laser-like precision. She looks every bit the predator she pretends not to be.
“What did you just call me?” Her voice is low and deadly, each word enunciated with care a
