I took a step forward, fists clenched. “Don’t play games with me, Ethan. I’m not in the f*****g mood.”
“I’m not,” he said evenly. “She bought that rock at some overpriced vendor stall at the flea market. She carries it around as if it’s sacred because it feels that way. People believe it. That’s the point.”
My voice dropped. “Emma confessed.”
He nodded, a slight smirk pulling at his lips. “Because Maya’s presence alone is enough to make people crack. The stone? That’s just a prop.”
“But it glowed.”
He gave a half-smile. “She painted the inside with a special powder. Heat-reactive. It lights up when a hand grips it tightly enough for the body heat to trigger it. Pretty smart, huh?”
I stared at him, feeling pressure build behind my eyes. “So everything that happened tonig
