Serena Blackwood studied Elias Kane, noting the subtle shift in him that made her eyes narrow just a fraction. She paused, piecing it together in an instant. His words were aimed squarely at the gentle mask she wore—the one he had seen through from the very first moment.
The boy's family had shaped him into someone painfully attuned to authenticity, his sensitivity a sharpened blade that cut through every false emotion directed his way. That was exactly why he had refused to bend to either softness or force, cornering her until she had no choice but to rip away the pretense and show her real face.
Right now, it was obvious he believed she was replaying the same game, which explained the sharp "You can't fool me" he had thrown at her. But if she truly couldn't deceive him, why did his posture carry that awkward, almost shy tension?
Serena stayed quiet, her bandaged right hand drifting forward to brush lightly across his skin. Elias's body gave a faint tremor beneath her touch.
