"Engaged?"
Katherine heard her own voice echo the word before she could stop it. Her lips parted, eyes widening only briefly before she managed to pull her composure back in place like a snapped rubber band. She blinked once, as if to buy herself time.
Across from her, Lara Johanssen smiled.
"Yes." Her smile widened, the kind that looked too polished, too effortless, like it had been worn too often for convenience. "It's not public yet. But it's official."
Katherine's throat felt tight. She swallowed, ignoring the sudden dryness that scratched against the back of her tongue.
"That's surprising," she replied evenly, folding her hands neatly on her lap. "He never mentioned it."
She was proud of how calm she sounded. Not a single syllable betrayed the hundred thoughts surging in her head, each vying for attention like spectators in a courtroom.
