Raya froze, her eyes wide as though she had just been hit.
"What?" she asked, her voice trembling, almost disbelieving.
"What you just heard," Adrian replied evenly, leaning against the edge of his drawer with that calm, unshakable air that made her feel like a mouse caught in the gaze of a hawk.
"I told you I won't get married to you," Raya said, her words rushing out, jagged and defensive.
"And I told you it's not your place to tell me what to do," Adrian countered, his tone level, almost conversational, but the subtle weight in his words sent a ripple of tension through the room.
"But we already talked about this, Adrian… I told you… I can't marry you," Raya said again, stumbling slightly over her words.
Her heart hammered in her chest, a rapid, wild rhythm she could feel in her throat.
"Can't or won't?" Adrian asked, tilting his head just slightly.
