Her fingers tightened.
“No,” she whispered, barely audible. “No, it can’t be.”
Ryan followed her gaze, his confusion dissolving into recognition, his face draining of color.
“Tom?” he said weakly. “What are you doing here?”
Thomas Reed stood slowly, not rushing, not smiling.
“Good evening, Madeline,” he said. “Or should I say Mara Jensen?”
The name landed like broken glass.
Madeline’s composure shattered in an instant.
“That’s not—” she began, her voice shaking. “I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
I stood then, placing my napkin neatly on the table, my voice steady as the room leaned in without realizing it.
Continue reading…