Violet sat with her hands folded neatly in her lap, nodding when Julian told her to wait.
As she watched him walk away with Lydia, a faint unease coiled in her chest. Something about Lydia’s last glance — that smug, challenging look — made her stomach twist.
After a few minutes, she decided to get up and head to the restroom. The restaurant wasn’t crowded, and the hallway leading to the washrooms was quiet and dim — anyone walking through stood out immediately.
When she came out, she froze.
Standing just a few feet away was him.
Liam.
Her ex.
He didn’t look as cocky as he used to — not broke, but definitely rougher. The dark circles under his eyes and the sharp, bitter glint in them made him look almost unrecognizable. Violet instinctively took half a step back until her shoulder br
