Chapter Twenty-Three
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Lucia's voice cut through the silence as she stood at her entrance, surprise flickering across her features.
"What am I doing here?" I echoed with a bitter laugh. "You should know already. You and Fred—"
"Come in." Her voice softened as she cast a glance around, clearly uncomfortable. She stepped aside and gestured for me to enter. "This isn't the place for a conversation like this," she added with a forced smile.
I stepped inside, feeling the weight of the tension between us settle on my shoulders like a lead blanket. My chest tightened with a potent mix of frustration and anxiety, and the air around us seemed to thicken, heavy with unspoken truths. Every step I took into the apartment felt like I was wading deeper into dangerous waters, each footfall pulling me closer to a confrontation I both dreaded and needed.
