The dinner had slipped back into an awkward, almost deafening silence—but none of the smiles, laughs, or half-hearted small talk around the table masked the boiling rage seated quietly in Kaira's chest. She hadn't spoken a single word throughout the meal, and not a soul had noticed. Not even Blake, who sat beside her.
Her jaw clenched as she stabbed at her untouched plate, eyes cold and distant. Every time Hailey's name was mentioned, a new layer of fury wrapped around her like a vice.
The ride back to Blake's house was far from peaceful. Kaira mumbled beneath her breath nonstop, each word a curse laced in venom. Blake kept both hands on the wheel, his silence as heavy as the tension between them. He didn't ask what she was saying—he didn't need to. He already knew.
