Chapter 156. Between Her and Me

Isabel’s POV

The air feels thick, like something unspoken has been hanging between us for too long. Grace stands a few feet away, her eyes locked on mine, and for a moment—just a heartbeat—I see something flicker across her face. It’s fleeting, but sharp enough to make me pause. Is it guilt? Worry? Regret? I can’t tell. It flashes and disappears too fast, like the tail end of a dream you can’t quite grasp after waking.

I brace myself, my spine instinctively straightening as she takes a step toward me—quick, yet measured. Like she isn’t sure who she’s looking at. Like I’m a ghost from a memory she doesn’t trust. I think she’s going to accuse me, demand answers—but then, she halts just inches away and lifts her hand, palm trembling slightly.

“Isabel,” she says, and my name falls from her lips with a softness I didn’t expect—gentle, full of somethin