Chapter 92 Three Words Unanswered: Part One

• Steam rises from the perfectly arranged food I can’t bring myself to eat, my fork pushing a piece of asparagus in endless circles around my plate. The motion is methodical, almost hypnotic—anything to avoid looking up, to avoid seeing the careful distance in Efrem’s eyes.
• I hadn’t expected to be here. Not until Tavin appeared at the bedroom door ten minutes ago to inform me that Efrem would be expecting me for dinner. It felt like a summons, a command wrapped in the pretense of an invitation. Now, surrounded by the watchful eyes of Tavin, Ivan, and Konstantin, I feel like an actress who’s forgotten her lines, trapped in a performance I never rehearsed.
• My fingers tighten around my fork, the mental cool against my suddenly clammy skin.