Jasmine's POV
The cameras were gone, but the echoes still clung to the air. I could still feel the heat of the flashbulbs on my skin, the fake smile aching in my cheeks. My body felt like glass… polished on the outside, ready to crack inside.
The SUV door shut behind me, sealing out the noise. Ares sat across from me, jacket unbuttoned, his expression unreadable as city lights shone across his face.
For a few seconds, we said nothing. The silence between us was thicker than the tinted glass.
"You did well." he finally said, tone clipped, like a man checking a box.
"I wasn't performing." I muttered, turning my gaze toward the blurred skyline. "That was your idea of unity, not mine."
His jaw tightened. "You think I enjoy this circus? Zara was baiting you. If you hadn't…"
"If I hadn't what? Defended myself?" I turned sharply. "You think I'll just stand there and let her publicly humiliate me?"
