PENELOPE'S POV

For a second, I didn't utter a word. Her question hung in the air like smoke, dense and impossible to ignore. It carried an unseen weight that made my heart race faster than usual.

“Excuse me?” I spoke finally, making sure to keep my voice devoid of any expression of uncertainty.

“You heard me,” she growled, arms folded across her breast as she inched closer. Her eyes were filled with bullets of accusations, already aimed and ready to fire once again. “It was a ...