Emma POV

The hallways felt tighter than usual. My heels clicked unevenly on the polished floor. Each echo bounced back at me like a question I could not answer. My mind kept replaying his face. Ethan. The tight set of his jaw, the cold stare. His hands gripping the wheel in the car. I could not shake it. Not the look. Not the silence.

I bumped into someone.

“Emma!” Alice’s voice startled me. Her eyes sparkled, too bright for the knot in my chest. “Finally! You’re back. Tell me ...