Aliana’s POV

The tension inside the restaurant was thick enough to suffocate her.

Freddy hadn’t taken his eyes off Alexander—not even for a second.

His gaze was like a storm, dark and unreadable, but beneath it, she could see the calculations running through his mind.

Kyle and Desmond stood nearby, silent, their eyes shifting between Freddy and Alexander as if waiting for an explosion.

Mercy looked like she was holding her breath, glancing at Aliana with concern.

Aliana, ...