Raya's mind raced. "Is it so hard to see people happy?" Her lips formed the thought, but the thought was said aloud
The room froze.
The words left her mouth like a slip of silk soft, unplanned, impossible to take back once released.
And the room reacted before Adrian did.
Derek's grin faltered, not in shock, but in a slow, sinking unraveling,
like a candle flame touched by wind.
The mischief drained from his features one drop at a time, leaving something hollow in its place.
Diana went still beside Raya.
Not frozen paused, as though the world had stopped mid-breath and was waiting for her to decide whether to breathe again.
Her fingers twitched a small, helpless movement, the kind someone makes before reaching into fire, even knowing it will burn. An instinctive reach toward Raya's mouth, toward the words already hanging in the air, too late to stop.
But touching Raya now would make it worse.
Dante's head lowered
not in respect,
but in the quiet instinct of a man
