The restaurant doors slammed shut behind her, the cold night air slapping Emilia harder than Max’s words ever could.
She walked fast—heels clacking on the polished stone, heart hammering like a war drum. The fog of humiliation hadn’t even begun to clear. She could still feel the weight of eyes on her, the burn of Grace’s smirk, the venom in Max’s voice.
“Asshole,” she hissed under her breath.
Johnny was a few steps behind her, calling her name gently, but she couldn’t stop. Not yet. If she stopped, she’d crumble. And he didn’t deserve to see her fall apart because of Max Carter.
The valet’s podium glowed ahead. She fumbled in her purse for her ticket, but her fingers were shaking too hard to grab it.
Then she heard it.
The heavy echo of footsteps behind her. Fast. Determined. Familia
