Irene's POV

I step into the bookstore, and the world hushes.

Not in the obvious way—not in the way that makes heads snap up and conversations die. But in the way that matters.

Like a held breath.

Like a silent ripple across still water.

Like they know.

They just don’t know why.

I take my time. Let the dust settle around my boots, let the old scent of paper and ink fold over me like an old secret. The air here is thick with something unspoken. Something heavy.

I like heavy things.

I wasn’t supposed to be here.

But fate has a funny way of nudging people into places they don’t belong.

I move toward the group. They’re gathered in that way people do when they think they’re safe—half-turned, loose-limbed, careless. But I see the tension where it matters. The fingers curled too tightly. The way Zach’s shoulders are squared but rigid. The way Sophie keeps her eyes moving, like she’s tracking something she can’t name.

And then there’s Elias.

Not watching me. Waiting.

Of course he is.

He’s the only one in the room who doesn’t fumble when the weight shifts.

I don’t break my stride. I let my gaze drift, just enough to make them wonder what I see. What I know.

“Hey.”

I say it soft. Almost like a whisper. But I know how to wield quiet things.

A whisper can be sharper than a scream.

Sophie is the first to react—too fast. She wasn’t expecting me. Good.

Amina tenses next, but she hides it better. Not good enough.

Max—he’s the one I watch. The one I test.

And he doesn’t disappoint.

His eyes meet mine for a fraction too long. A flicker of recognition. A thread stretched between us, pulled too tight.

He knows.

Or maybe—he’s afraid I do.

Interesting.

I smile, just a little. Just enough to tip the scales without making them crash.

“Did I miss something?”

Simple words. Harmless words.

But I see the way Rayhan shifts. The way Max looks away. The way Bruce’s jaw locks.

And I feel the way Elias watches.

Like he already knows where this is going.

Like he’s been waiting for me to arrive.

And maybe—maybe he has.

I let the silence stretch, just a little. Let them feel it. Let them sit in it.

Sophie finally moves, clearing her throat. “No. We were just—”

“Lying?”

The word falls between us, soft but lethal.

Amina stiffens. “Excuse me?”

I tilt my head, as if considering. “Just a guess.”

It isn’t.

I catch a flicker of something from the corner of my eye—movement. A shift of weight. A glance exchanged too quickly.

And then—Max’s hand, moving toward his pocket.

The moment is small. Barely noticeable.

But I notice.

My gaze flickers there—and Max knows I saw.

I step closer. Too close.

I let my voice drop. “Something you want to share?”

Max doesn’t answer.

Elias does.

“Careful, Irene.”

His voice is silk and steel, wrapping around my name like a warning. Like a game piece being moved into place.

And there it is.

The shift.

The moment where the balance tips, and suddenly, I’m not the one testing them anymore.

I glance at Elias. He’s watching me, but this time, there’s something else in his gaze. Something knowing.

Something dangerous.

I smile. “Always.”

The game just changed.

And they have no idea what’s coming.

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