"We used to be a…" Rowland's voice started again, low but charged with some twisted nostalgia.
"We are nothing," Raya cut him off sharply, her voice calm but decisive. She refused to let him speak another word that could damage Seraphina's name, or her carefully orchestrated plan.
Grigor stepped into the restroom at that moment, his presence a silent barrier. Raya, intentionally, made Rowland think she was intimidated, that she feared Adrian discovering the truth.
"Sera… you can't say we are nothing," Rowland said, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, trying to bait her, to pull a reaction.
It was in that moment Adrian's sharp mind clicked. He realized this man, Rowland, wasn't personally acquainted with Raya. He was familiar only with Seraphina. That explained the strange tension, the way Rowland addressed her, and why Raya carried herself so carefully.
