As Chloe drove Bella home that evening after the days work, the car was silent.
It was Chloe who broke the quiet. "So…" she began, her tone careful, "what are you planning to do about Raymond? He confessed to you, right?"
Bella's lips pressed into a thin line. She had known the question was coming — Chloe never let things sit too long without poking at them. Slowly, she exhaled, watching the passing headlights blur across the glass. "Yes, he did a d there's nothing to be done about it," she said at last. "I'm going to stay away from him. That's what's best."
Chloe glanced at her, brows lifting. "Stay away?"
"Yes." Bella shifted in her seat, her fingers fiddling with the strap of her bag. "The more I get involved, the messier it becomes. He doesn't need me adding to his troubles, and I… I can't afford to get entangled in his world. Not when I've spent years trying to build mine back from the ground up." Her voice faltered, softer now. "It's safer if I keep my distance."
