Chapter 36

The silence between them was deafening.

Amanda sat on the edge of the bed, her back straight, her arms crossed over her chest like a shield. The question still hung in the air, thick and unrelenting.

Was it Annabel?

Raphael hadn't moved since she asked it. He stood near the window, his hands braced against the frame, his head slightly bowed. The moonlight cast sharp shadows along the hard lines of his face, his expression unreadable.

Then finally, a single word.

"No."

Amanda studied him closely.

It wasn't the answer itself that made her pause-it was the way he said it. Too controlled. Too measured.

His fingers flexed slightly against the window frame, and his gaze flickered-just barely.

Liar.

She could feel it in her bones.

"Then who was it?" she pressed, her voice softer now, but no less demanding.

His posture stiffened. He turned to face her, his blue eyes dark, unreadable. "Why does it matter?"