Ethan didn’t look menacing. In fact, he looked as calm and composed as ever, but there was something in his presence that unsettled her. Maybe it was the quiet assurance in his demeanor or the unyielding support he offered me without needing to say a word. Vanessa’s eyes darted between us, searching for something familiar to grasp onto, but there was nothing left of the woman she used to know. I was no longer the broken sister she had betrayed—I was someone who had moved on, someone who had found happiness despite her callousness.
“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Vanessa stammered, her voice barely audible over the chatter that had resumed around us. Her attempt to regain composure was obvious, but her earlier confidence was nowhere to be found.
“I’m sure you didn’t,” I replied evenly, maintaining the soft smile that had become my shield. “But we wanted to congratulate you both in person.”
