Chapter 49

• “I never wanted it to be like this, Funmi. You have to believe me.”
• Kemi’s voice was a sickening blend of sweet and manipulative, as she stood at the door, her eyes fixed on me like a predator eyeing its prey. Her calmness only heightened the chaos swirling inside me. The air between us was thick with unspoken words, with tension, with the promise of more lies, more betrayals to uncover.
• I swallowed hard, my fingers clenched around the door handle as if I could steady myself just by holding on. My heart was in pieces, pulled in two directions—toward Cole and the trust I thought we had built, and toward Kemi, whose hold over me was not yet fully understood.