Ayla's POV
Each possibility clawed at me, sharper than the last, yet none offered a clear path forward.
I swallowed, gripping the pen harder, trying to ground myself in something solid, anything. But nothing felt solid. Everything teetered on the edge, ready to tip.
Then her voice came again.
"About yesterday night."
This time the words instantly pulled my head up. heat crawling over my neck, even under the AC, My eyes landed on her almost immediately , but her gaze remained fixed on whatever she was doing on that system of hers. Calm. Controlled. Unreadable.
"What is that, ma'am?" I finally summoned the courage to ask, my voice a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
She sat on the edge of her bed, hands folded tightly in her lap, listening to her parents' voices drift in from the next room.
Not in fear
Not in worry
In excitement
