The silence lasted exactly three seconds.
Ava's grin widened as she leaned back in her chair, twin katanas resting across her lap. "Well, I very much hugged Riyan very closely before he left for Tiānlù. You know, the kind of hug where you can feel heartbeats? That kind."
The temperature in the private dining room dropped.
Syra's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Livia's wine glass paused mid-sip. Raven's golden eyes didn't blink.
"You're lying," Livia said, setting down her glass with deliberate precision. Her purple eyes glittered with dangerous calculation. "Riyan departed at 6:47 AM from the eastern docks. You were logged entering the Hunter Association building at 6:52 AM that morning. The travel time between locations is eleven minutes minimum."
Ava's grin didn't falter. "I said before he left. Not the day he left. Two nights prior, actually. Training session in the Descartes compound's western courtyard. Lasted until 2:34 AM. We were both exhausted, sweaty, and—"
