Chapter Eighty Eight
Venessa POV
The silence in the room was dense and suffocating. I stood just a few feet away from Mia, waiting for an answer that could somehow make sense of the wreckage of our lives. My heart was beating a frantic rhythm against my ribs, but my body felt completely numb. I stared at her, looking for any sign of regret, any flash of the friend I thought I knew.
There was nothing.
Mia’s face remained entirely smooth, her eyes cold and unblinking. Then, slowly, the corners of her mouth twisted upward. She didn't cry. She didn't look afraid of the two massive security guards standing by the door, or of Khalid, who looked ready to break her in half. Instead, she let out a short, sharp laugh. It was a sound completely devoid of humor—dry, bitter, and mocking.
"Why?" M
