A brief silence settled between them—just long enough to register—before they both burst into laughter.
"Now that makes me feel better," Kathrine admitted, appreciating his goofiness for easing the anger knotted in her chest. She reached for her coffee and took a slow sip, letting the warmth calm her.
"But still," she said, her expression tightening, "I can't understand how my sister ever managed to tolerate her for that long. She's a bully."
The word carried open disdain, and Ethan caught it immediately. His brow furrowed, amusement fading into curiosity.
"A bully?" he repeated. "I thought they were best friends."
All he knew was the version everyone else did—Anna and Fiona inseparable back in their school days. But watching Anna now, distant and guarded, and Fiona's desperate attempts to undermine her, it was obvious something had gone terribly wrong.
Kathrine arched a brow. "Don't tell me you seriously don't know."
