Amara’s eyes flicked to her briefly—just a glance—before snapping back to Elias.
“What is going on?” she asked again.
Elias exhaled slowly, dragging a hand down his face.
“Zoe was in an accident,” he said finally, his voice lower now, controlled but strained. “But no one knows she’s still alive.”
His jaw tightened as he glanced briefly toward the entrance, then back at Amara.
“There are… things happening,” he added, choosing his words carefully. “And I need you to keep it a secret. No one knows she survived. So don’t tell anyone.”
Amara’s eyes narrowed slightly, her arms folding tighter over her chest as she processed his words.
“So you want me to just… act like she’s dead?”
Before Elias could answer, Bianca stepped forward.
“Just listen to Elias,” She snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. Her chin lifted as she looked at Amara, eyes narrowing. “He knows what he’s doing. Don’t you get it?”
She let out a small, almost mocking breath. Her eyes flicked between them before settling on Elias’s hand—still holding Amara’s wrist.
A flicker of irritation crossed her face.
“He’s a man. He knows better than you, so stop acting like it’s some huge deal and just say yes. It’s not that difficult.”
Amara turned her head toward her. The silence that followed was sharp.
Something flickered across Bianca’s face—jealousy, raw and unhidden—her lips tightening as her eyes darkened. She looked back up at Amara like she was something beneath her feet, something she wanted erased.
Amara noticed it immediately.
Without a word, she pulled her hand free from Elias’s grip and turned her body away from Bianca. Then she looked at Elias.
“But she knew before me,” Amara said, pointing her thumb toward Bianca.
Her lips curled faintly.
“Looks like you really do have a very close connection with your sweet little ‘nothing is going on between us,’” she added, sarcasm dripping from every word.
She didn’t wait for a response.
With a small shake of her head, she turned on her heel and started walking back to her car.
But she didn’t get far.
Elias moved immediately.
“Amara!” His hand shot out and caught her wrist, stopping her mid-step.
Amara froze for half a second, then turned her head back toward him.
His expression was tense, eyes locked on hers, refusing to let her walk away like that.
Then, without looking away from Amara, he turned his head slightly toward Bianca.
“Leave,” he said coldly.
Bianca stiffened.
