Maria.
Anabel suddenly burst out laughing, not a soft laugh, not even a mocking one. It was loud, sharp and unhinged.
The kind of laughter that didn't carry humor, only something broken beneath the surface, something barely holding itself together. It echoed in the space between us, sending a faint chill down my spine as I stood there, unmoving.
"You're lying…" she whispered finally.
Her voice dropped, quieter now, but it trembled, just slightly, like she was trying to steady it and failing.
Her gaze locked onto mine instantly.
It moved across my face, scanning every inch of it as if she could find something—anything—a crack, a hesitation, a flicker of doubt that would prove her right. That would tell her this was nothing more than a bluff.
A game.
But there was nothing.
No hesitation. No denial. No weakness.
And somehow… that made it worse.
"No…" she muttered, her head beginning to shake slowly as she took a step back. "No, that's not possible…"
