The bar was dim, elegant, and quiet—the kind of place where people whispered business deals or heartbreak, never both. Nadia sat alone at the far end, tucked into a booth lined with dark leather. A half-full glass of red wine sat untouched in front of her.
Her red dress from earlier was creased now, wrinkled from hours of sitting and moving with no purpose. Her ponytail had loosened; stray strands framed her face, catching in the soft light from the hanging amber fixtures overhead.
Her phone buzzed once on the table. She didn't bother checking it. She didn't care who it was.
Her mind was stuck somewhere else.
"You disgust me, Nadia." Chloe's voice kept replaying, over and over, until it hurt more than the wine burned going down.
She barely noticed when someone slid into the seat across from her.
Ryan.
Black leather jacket, dark jeans. Same stubble-shadowed jaw, same habit of showing up exactly when she didn't know if she wanted him there.
