The silence pressed in, brittle and dangerous, like glass stretched thin. Mila’s heart slammed against her ribs, each beat threatening to splinter her resolve. Her eyes darted between Liam’s unreadable gaze and Aria’s venomous smirk, and the walls around her seemed to close in.

“Aria, stop,” Mila whispered, though her voice trembled with more fear than authority.

Aria leaned casually against the wall, folding her arms, savoring every second of Mila’s unraveling. “Why? Don’t you ...