Chapter 144

Emma's POV

We danced like that for what felt like an eternity, the rest of the world slipping away as I let myself fall into the rhythm. Something was intoxicating about it, the way he could make me forget, if only for a moment, all the pain that lay between us. His eyes never left mine, and I could see the longing there, the desire that matched my own. I hated that it was still there, that no matter how much time had passed, the fire between us hadn’t been extinguished.

The song ended, and Ryan led me back to our table, but the spell hadn’t entirely broken. I ate mechanically, my appetite dulled by the emotional weight pressing down on me. I found myself eating more than I expected, the tension in my body loosening with each bite.

Ryan watched me, his expression a mixture of satisfaction and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite name.

I felt conflicted—angry that I was even here, sitting across from the man who had betrayed me so deeply, and yet there was no denying that s