Chapter 130
~ Franklin ~
"Do you know who Bella Washington is?" Octavia asked again, her voice laced with quiet confusion. Her eyes searched mine, wide and uncertain, as if the name had dropped into her mind like a stone into still water, sending ripples she couldn't quite trace.
"Yes, I know who she is," I replied carefully, keeping my tone even.
"Do I know her?" she pressed, sitting up a little straighter against the pillows.
"Yes," I said again, the word heavier than it should have been.
"She's someone we both know," I mumbled, buying a second to steady myself.
"So who is she to us?" she asked further, her brow furrowing with that familiar mix of curiosity and vulnerability that always tugged at something deep inside me.
"She's… my ex," I admitted, watching the way her expression shifted. "And your colleague at work."
"Your… ex?" The words came out slowly, almost tasting them, as if they carried an unfamiliar bitterness on her tongue.
