{I hope you all enjoyed the last couple of chapters as I enjoyed writing it.}
—
She turned to Alan, who stood rigidly with both fists clenching and unclenching. Then she walked toward him and stopped a few feet away.
Ephyra stared at him as he glared at her, his jaw tight and his posture radiating tension.
"Alan," she said, her voice sharp but calm, cutting through the whispers around them. "You are so pathetic, it hurts my eyes to even look at you." She tilted her head and smiled. "Why the hell are you glaring at me? Are you angry? You shouldn't be—because you have no fucking right to."
His glare darkened, and he took a step forward but was stopped when a punch landed squarely on his jaw, sending him stumbling back. Gasps erupted across the ballroom as Ephyra straightened her posture, shaking her hand slightly to rid herself of the sting while moving closer to him.