"Oh, someone finally decided to join us," Zyran drawled, lips curled into a grin so bright it might as well have come with a flash of teeth. The tone was cheerful, but the way his eyes sharpened? Yeah, no—this was not a welcome greeting. This was the verbal equivalent of tossing a gauntlet on the table.
Isabella shot him a side-eye that was part "don't start" and part "seriously, be normal for once."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice lifting with genuine excitement as she rose from her chair. She didn't even wait for an answer—her feet carried her across the room toward Kian like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Kian, true to form, moved with unhurried precision. No smile, no fanfare, no obvious emotion—just those icy blue eyes tracking her approach. When she reached him, she slipped into his arms without hesitation, hugging him like this was a reunion worth celebrating.
And that was when the air changed.
