Chapter 51

• “You're lying,” I said, my voice barely a whisper, but my heart was pounding so loud in my ears that it felt like a scream.
• Kemi’s eyes flickered for a moment, just a flash of uncertainty before she quickly masked it with her usual practiced smile. But I could see through her. I had been watching her long enough to recognize the cracks in her carefully constructed facade. The lie was there, buried beneath the layers of charm and manipulation she’d wrapped herself in for so long. And I wasn’t buying it anymore.
• “You don’t understand, Cole,” she replied, her tone a mix of frustration and something else—guilt? No, it couldn’t be. “This isn’t how I wanted things to go. I didn’t plan for any of this.”