-Maya’s POV-


    Sarah’s eyes darted back and forth between Adrian and us, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Hold on,” she finally blurted, her voiceced with concern. “


    Before I could even consider a response, Adrian swaggered over, a sly smile stered acro


    his face that sent shivers down my spine.


    “Amaya, Natalia,” he greeted us in a voice that oozed with false charm, “What a stunning coincidence running into you lovelydies here.”


    Natalia’s gaze narrowed to icy slits. Gone was the yful demeanor she’d worn moments ago, reced by a steely re, “Oh, cut the crap out, Adrian. A


    Adrian chuckled, a hollow sound devoid of any genuine humor. “Following? Now, wouldn’t that be a bit dramatic, Natalia?” He leaned back in his chair, h


    a predator sizing up its prey.


    The sight of him made a wave of nausea roll through my stomach. It wasn’t just his smug expression or the way he casually inserted himself into our


    space. It was the memories he brought with him, a tangled mess of betrayal and anger that threatened to unravel the fragile peace I’d built. It was him. T


    Across the counter, Riley, who’d been quietly observing the scene unfold, mmed a ss down with a force that made us all jump. “Uh–


    uh,” she said, her voice firm butced with a hint of weariness. “No fighting here today. I had to pull some serious strings just to get Amaya back in after t


    “Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Sarah demanded, her voice a mix of annoyance and confusion. Everything had been light and fun just moments


    felt thick with animosity, a stark contrast to the cheerful chatter of the other patrons.


    Natalia, her voice dripping with venom, spat back, “What’s going on is that this charming gentleman here” – she gestured sarcastically at Adrian –


    “is an absolute jerk who’s been stalking us ever since he got out of prison.”


    “Stalking?” Adrian scoffed, throwing his hands up in mock defense. “Come on now, Natalia, that’s a bit of a strong word, wouldn’t you say?”


    “Isn’t it?” I challenged, finally finding my voice. The anger simmering beneath the surface threatened to boil over. “Exin to Sarah then, “Adrian,” why yo


    Adrian’s smile faltered for a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features.


    He cleared his throat and straightened in his chair, as if trying to regainposure. “Well, Amaya,” he began, his voice taking on a patronizing tone that


    eyes, “let’s just say I saw an opportunity to reconnect with some old friends. And besides,” he continued, his eyes darting towards Sarah, “whoever said


    Natalia let out a snort of derision, a harsh sound that echoed in the small bar. “Genuine interest? Please, Adrian. Spare us the act. We all know you’re ju


    Adrian’s eyes shed


    with anger, but he quickly schooled his expression into a mask of indifference. “Is that what you truly believe? That I’m incapable of genuine connection?


    “Considering how things ended between you and me,” she countered, her voiceced with bitterness, “I think you’ve forfeited the right to y the innoce


    Inin Chatroom


    A tense silence descended upon the table, broken only by the murmur


    of conversations from other patrons of the bar. Sarah, still bewildered by the exchange, looked between us with a mixture of curiosity and concern,


    “Okay,” she finally said, her voice breaking the silence. “I clearly missed something here. What is going on? How


    does everyone know each other?” Her question hung in the air, demanding an exnation, and I knew I couldn’t avoid it any longer.


    “Adrian was Alex’s best friend.” The words came out simply.


    His eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering in their depths. “Did you forget something else too, Amaya?” he spat. “The reason I was in jail in the first


    yesterday’s trash, stripped me of everything I had.”


    Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. He was right. Alex had stripped him of everything he had because he believed we had an affair. Som


    Letting out a shaky sigh, I met his gaze head–on. “Whatever this borate n of yours is, Adrian,” I said, my voice low and


    steady, “whatever you’re hoping to gain by manipting Sarah, just let it go. It’s not worth it.”


    He didn’t answer. A sardonic smirk just grew on his face.


    Suddenly, Sarah let out a sharp scoff, her eyes narrowing at Adrian with a newfound intensity. “Did you ask me out because you’ve been following them


    knew I was their friend?”


    Adrian’s smirk faltered for a moment, a flicker of unease crossing his features. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out, Riley


    “Not. Here,” she stated curtly, her voice leaving no room for argument. The tension in the room was palpable, a storm brewing just beneath


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    the surface.


    “Sarah isn’t going anywhere with you,” I finally blurted out, “Just leave.”


    Adrian’s smile faltered for a brief moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. But it was quickly masked by a practiced indifference. “And who e


    “She can speak for herself,” Sarah finally growled, her voice low and dangerous.


    “And she wants you to leave before she ws your eyes out.” Adrian simply smirked, a slow, infuriating twist of his lips. He seemed to revel in the


    difort he caused, drawing a perverse satisfaction from the chaos he’d unleashed. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he turned his gaze towards


    “How is being married to your second choice, Natalia?” he drawled, his voice devoid of warmth.


    Natalia’s eyes narrowed, her jaw clenching tightly. For a moment, I thought she might lunge across the table and throttle him. But she took a deep breath


    “Nathan is not my second choice, Adrian,” she finally said, her voice clipped and cold. “If anyone was secondary, it was you.


    A sh of annoyance crossed his face at that. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, clearly struggling to maintain hisposure.


    “That’s a convenient story, Natalia,” he scoffed, his voiceced with a bitter edge. “But we both know the


    truth, don’t we?” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “The truth about why things ended between us.”


    None of us said anything then. Finally, Adrian leaned back in his chair with a theatrical sigh, raising his hand in mock surrender.


    “Alright, alright,” he chuckled, his voice dripping with false amusement. “Since I seem to be so unwanted, I’ll take my leave. No need to make a scene, is


    carefree chatter and oblivious patrons. “Look at them,” he mused, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice. “So happy, oblivious, going on with their live


    Natalia scoffed, her arms crossed defensively. “What are you going on about now?”


    He turned his gaze towards her, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes before settling on me. “Just an observation,” he replied, his v


    My breath hitched in my throat.


    Adrian’s smile widened, a cruel glint dancing in his eyes. He seemed to relish the fear he saw reflected in my eyes.


    “What do you think would happen,” he hissed, his voice sending a tremor through me, “when people found out that Alex, wasn’t quite what they seemed?


    truth? That their precious billionaire was a werewolf?”