A Defiant 'Yes'

I stood frozen, my heart still racing from the unexpected confrontation between Julian and Camille. Their heated whispers echoed down the hall, just barely audible from where I stood.

"Why were you staring at her like that?" Camille's voice was tight with barely controlled anger.

"I wasn't staring at anyone," Julian replied, his tone defensive. "You're being paranoid."

"Paranoid? You didn't even hear me calling your name!"

I took a step backward, not wanting to eavesdrop any further on their argument. The last thing I needed was to get caught in the middle of their relationship drama, especially when Julian was the source of so much pain in my own life.

"Still here, I see."

I jumped at the voice behind me, spinning around to find Tristan leaning casually against the wall. His neck still bore faint red marks from Adrian's grip, but his smile remained unchanged—confident and slightly mischievous.