Jasmine's POV
The air inside my apartment felt different after that message… heavier, tighter. It wasn't just fear anymore. It was the sense that we were being dragged into something bigger than both of us.
Ares had gone silent after seeing the photo. His jaw flexed, eyes hard with calculation. He had made a few calls, sent encrypted messages, and then just… stared out the window, like he was listening to something only he could hear.
I didn't say a word. Not at first. But as the minutes stretched, the silence turned sharp.
Finally, I spoke. "You already knew something like this was coming, didn't you?"
He did not look at me. "I knew they would not stop."
I folded my arms. "That is not what I asked."
He turned then eyes cold, focused. "What do you want me to say, Jasmine? That I saw this coming? That I didn't tell you because I thought I could handle it?"
"Yes." I said. "That would have been a start."
