Sara Ikari Rodriguez:
The applause faded.
The lights dimmed.
The music returned.
But inside me?
Everything went loud.
My pulse hammered against my ribs, my skin buzzing where Matio’s hand still held my waist. The crowd around us slowly went
back to their conversations, but I stayed frozen—half stunned, half furious.
Because he had no right.
No right to do what he just did.
No right to pull me close in front of hundreds of people like I was some priceless artifact he suddenly decided to display.
No.
No.
No.
I stepped out of his hold.
Matio blinked once, slow, like he didn’t expect me to move.
“Mmh,” I forced a tight smile. “Nice performance out there.”
His brows twitched. “Sara—”
“No,” I whispered sharply. “Don’t ‘Sara’ me.”
He straightened, face unreadable. “You were be
