"You muttered a name." Zade stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he spoke slowly, emphasising each syllable. "Tobias."
Jasper's head snapped toward her, surprise flickering across his face. The tension around them thickened, as if the air itself held its breath.
Evelina's mouth went dry, her heart racing in her chest.
She hadn't meant to say anything, let alone reveal a name that carried so much weight and could hint at her secret.
Memories of Tobias flashed in her mind—his laughter, the time they've spent together, the way he had tried to usurp her research work and the discovery of him being here in Arcadia.
"Uh-oh," Relia exclaimed with a whisper.
"I—Tobias was… a name Luther mentioned. Someone he'd lost. Someone he blamed."
It wasn't a lie.
But it wasn't the truth, either.
Zade's stare didn't break. "He sounded important."
"He's not," she said flatly. "Not anymore."
The air shifted.
Jasper didn't speak, but she could feel his attention shift, just slightly.
