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Adrian remained silent for a moment, his hand tightening on the steering wheel. The car came to a slow stop in the parking lot, and his gaze darkened as he finally turned to look at Eva. Her words hung in the air between them, but for some reason, they didn’t seem to have the same effect on him as before. Perhaps it was because of the carefully calculated way she asked the question—something in the calmness of her tone unsettled him.
Eva, on the other hand, could feel the tension rising. The words she had almost spoken earlier, the ones about Vivian’s scars, now felt heavy on her tongue. She had carefully held them back, but she wasn’t sure for how much longer she could keep her composure. She had grown tired of Adrian’s silence and the games, tired of constantly walking on eggshells around him.
“Concern, huh?” Adrian’s voice was laced with sarcasm as he let out a breath and glanced at her. “You sure know how to make it sound so convincing.”
Eva didn’t respond right away. She didn’t feel the need to explain herself any further. His anger was already bubbling to the surface, and she knew that nothing she said would change it. Not anymore.
She glanced out the window, her thoughts drifting back to the quiet promise she’d made to herself earlier. Once Grandma was out of surgery, she would be free—free of Adrian, his constant manipulation, and the suffocating hold he had on her life. She would leave. There was nothing else to wait for, nothing else that tied her to this life anymore.
“You should go check on Vivian then,” she said softly, her tone neutral, breaking the silence. “Seems like she might need your… attention more than I do.”
Her words hit harder than she intended. Adrian’s jaw clenched as he processed the implication. He didn’t respond, but the way he looked at her spoke volumes. She had hit a nerve, but she wasn’t going to apologize. Not for caring about her own future.
“Let’s go,” Adrian said, his tone sharp as he pushed open the car door. He wasn’t in the mood to argue anymore. And honestly, neither was Eva.
She followed him out of the car, but there was a noticeable distance between them now. She didn’t feel the need to get closer, to try and bridge the gap that had only widened over time. She wasn’t sure where they were going with this—whether they could fix whatever was left or if it was too late.
As they walked towards the entrance of the building, Adrian’s posture stiffened slightly. Eva caught the flicker of unease in his eyes, the way his gaze darted to her now and then. It seemed like something had shifted, but neither of them was willing to acknowledge it.
They had both been living in a fragile web of lies, carefully navigating their feelings, and now it felt like the truth was creeping closer. But there was no turning back now. The damage had been done, and as much as Adrian might try to salvage things, Eva had already made up her mind.
And so, they moved forward—two people who had once been close, now separated by layers of anger, regret, and unspoken words. Neither was willing to make the first move, both too proud to admit that the end had already begun.
