Maria sat alone on the balcony, her heart racing with a mixture of apprehension and defiance. David had left to fetch snacks, leaving her alone with Anthony, a situation she would have preferred to avoid. She could feel his gaze on her, a weighty presence that made her skin crawl.
The liquid courage from the whisky she had consumed earlier gave her a false sense of bravado. She wanted to run, to find a safe place away from Anthony's intense scrutiny. But a stubborn resolve took hold of her, and she decided to give him the cold shoulder instead.
They sat in tense silence, the air heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tensions. Maria's mind raced with thoughts of escape, of finding a way out of this suffocating situation. But she forced herself to remain seated, her jaw set in defiance.
