Page 112 of Scarlet Wars
Wow. Even I was impressed by my own fake-ass pleasantness.
Rachel turned to me, her expression nothing but open warmth. “Hi, Emma. What are you doing up?”
I shrugged, trying for casual. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Clearly.
She nodded. “Did you hear about those Radicals clashing weapons with Collabs in South Africa? Apparently, they’ve been fighting over some territory.”
The amount of interest I had in that topic was so far below zero it practically froze my ass off.
I shook my head. “No, I haven’t.”
My gaze shifted to Caden.
He looked…indifferent.
Not tense. Not flustered. Simply unbothered.
“Caden, could I talk to you in private for a second?” I kept my tone light, but there was an edge beneath it. One I knew he would catch.
His brow furrowed slightly, eyes flicking between me and Rachel. Then, finally, he gave a single nod. “Sure.”
I turned and led the way into my room, the fake smile nowhere to be seen.
“The hell was that?”
Caden’s coldness sliced through my bedroom the moment the door closed behind us.
I turned around, trying for innocent. “What was what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” he warned, stepping closer. “The fuck was with you acting jealous of Rachel?”
I crossed my arms, forcing myself to look indifferent, even as my pulse spiked. “Nothing.”
“Nothing?” He raised a brow, disbelief dripping from every word. “Didn’t look like nothing from where I was standing.”
My heart pounded in my chest, but I wasn’t about to let him see me crack. “Well then, you should’ve moved,” I snapped, sounding harsher than I intended.
His expression shifted, confusion flickering across his face. “What?”
Yeah. No idea what that was.
I cleared my throat, my head held high. “If your point of view generated any misinformation, you should’ve moved to another location,” I said, sticking to my absurd little argument.
He stared at me, incredulously. “You were trained as a lawyer, andthat’sthe best defense you can come up with?”
I gave a sheepish smile. “It’s been a while.”
His expression didn’t soften; if anything, it hardened, though his voice remained controlled in a way that made it even more unsettling.
“You were jealous, Emma,” he said, each word precise enough to cut. “Tell me why.”
“I wasn’t!” The easy denial spilled out before I could stop it.
His dark eyes narrowed, the irritation in them unmistakable. When he spoke again, his tone was quieter, every syllable measured like a threat.
“Don’t lie to me.” He took a step closer, his presence a solid wall of tension and restraint. “Don’t. Fucking. Lie to me.”
