That dinner was, without exaggeration, deeply strange.
Suzy felt a pressure she had never experienced before.
She had eaten with Adam and Leonard countless times without discomfort. But the moment Ronan appeared, something in the atmosphere shifted—subtle, invisible, yet unbearable.
She finished eating quickly and set down her chopsticks.
"I'm going to the restroom," she excused herself.
By the time she returned, the three men had nearly finished as well.
"I've already paid. Let's go," Leonard called, waving her over.
Ronan hadn't driven. He got into Adam's car.
With a light smile, he pulled open the passenger door and slid into the seat, fastening his seatbelt before turning to his cousin.
"Hey, bro," he said casually, "do you like Suzy?"
Adam's temple twitched almost imperceptibly. "What kind of nonsense are you talking about?"
Now that no one else was around—and given how close they were—Ronan spoke without restraint.
He ignored the denial, buckling in comfortably.
