Chapter 49
At the Bar The music pulsed through the walls of the private room, low and steady, like a heartbeat he no longer paid attention to. The bar was dimly lit, warm with gold tones, and full of laughter that didn't belong to him. Akiro sat on the leather couch, a half-empty glass of whiskey in one hand, staring at nothing in particular. Jemuel was beside him, chatting animatedly with someone across the room, but Akiro barely heard him anymore. His smile had faded long ago. The thrill of the moment—the kiss, the risk, the reckless high—it was gone now, replaced by a dull weight pressing on his chest. His phone was facedown on the table. Silent. Unchecked. Because he knew. He knew Tamaro had probably seen it by now. Akiro had ignored the calls. The messages. He told himself he needed spac
- Writer
