Chapter 56

Emma's POV

For the first time that night, I felt a little lighter, the oppressive weight of the past beginning to lift.

But the night wasn’t over yet. As we continued to mingle, others took their turn trying to get a reaction out of me. Some were subtle, like Mr. Thompson, who made a pointed comment about “second chances” while glancing between me and Daniel across the room. Others were more blatant, like Mrs. Greene, who openly asked how it felt to see Eva with Daniel as if they were expecting me to confess some deep regret.

Each time, Ryan was there, quick with a sharp retort or a subtle redirection that left the other person either flustered or silenced. It was as if he could sense when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, stepping in to shield me from the worst of it.

At one point, during a particularly tense conversation with an old family friend who couldn’t resist bringing up the past, Ryan simply took my hand and squeezed it gently, cutting the conversation short with a disa