"Are you sure?" Aria asked her again with a worried expression on her face. Her voice was softer now, uncertain, carrying the weight of doubt that had been growing in her chest since the conversation started. "Maybe…maybe it hasn't…"
"I'm sure, Aria!" Liora cut her off before she could finish, her voice sharp as a blade. She tossed her long and fuller red hair to her back in a sweeping motion, her chin lifted in subtle defiance as she spoke, lifting her head subtly with pride, like a queen refusing to be questioned. There was something too effortless in her dismissal—too fast, too polished.
"I would know if I am! What does it matter anyway?" she asked, her tone hardening. A slightly annoyed expression flickered over her face as she looked at Aria, trying to mask the deeper tension in her eyes. She could see Aria faltering, struggling to keep something hidden—something important. And it was obvious, far too obvious.
