Chapter 90

Emily’s POV

The dinner felt endless, like being trapped inside a room with walls slowly closing in.

Every smile Alex gave, every twitch of Ezra’s jaw, every flicker in Ava’s eyes—it all stacked up like dynamite waiting for a single spark.

When the bill finally came, I thought I could breathe again, but relief didn’t last long.

Alex was still cheerful, chatting with the server as though he hadn’t just dragged us all through an emotional minefield.

“Let’s walk back together,” he said brightly. “The air will help with digestion.”

Ava mumbled something about needing to grab a cab because she wasn’t feeling well.

Ezra instantly straightened, concern flashing across his face, but he caught himself too quickly, burying it behind that soldier’s mask of his.

“I’ll take her,” I blurted before he could open his mouth. “You and Alex go ahead. We’ll catch up later.”

Ava shot me a look that was half gratitude, half guilt.

Alex did