"I think you already know," he said, eyes never leaving Carmela. "She was about to destroy your gift."
Carmela yanked her wrist back at last, rubbing it as she glared at both of them. "So what if I was?" she shot back. "You really think those cheap presents mean anything?"
Evelyn took a step closer, her voice calm but edged with steel. "You don't get to touch what's mine," she said. "Especially not out of spite."
For a brief second, Carmela looked like she might argue again, but the attention gathering around them, the phones half-raised, made her hesitate. With a sharp click of her tongue, she turned away.
"This isn't over," she muttered, disappearing back into the crowd.
Ash exhaled slowly, then turned to Evelyn and held out the gift box. "Here," he said more gently. "It's a little bent, but it's fine."
Evelyn took it from him, fingers tightening around the ribbon. "Thanks," she said quietly. Then, after a pause, "I owe you one."
