I laughed out loud, a sharp, disbelieving sound that broke the tension in my chest before it could settle into something heavier.
"Okay, okay—cut," I said, waving a hand between us as I stepped back, forcing a smile that didn't quite feel real on my face. "There must be a camera somewhere, or you're trying to waste my time." My eyes moved over her face again, searching for any crack in her expression, any sign that this was some elaborate joke I had walked into. "Why should I even believe any of this?"
She didn't flinch. That was the problem. No irritation, no panic, no attempt to backtrack. Just that same steady calm, like she had already accepted whatever this would turn into.
"Why would I lie about something like this?" she asked quietly.
I exhaled a short, dismissive breath. "People lie for less," I shot back immediately. "They lie for attention. They lie for revenge. They lie because they think I'm stupid enough to sit here and"
She didn't speak
*****
