Eloise didn't have time to dodge. Alex's slap landed with a deafening c***k, his palm smashing against her cheek with such brute force that half her face immediately swelled and turned red. The sting was sharp, like fire spreading under her skin. Her head whipped to the side, strands of her hair sticking to the corner of her mouth. But she didn’t flinch. She straightened slowly, her chest heaving with steady breath, and lifted her head. A sarcastic smile crept across her bruised lips, unfazed.
“Why are you still laughing?” Alex growled, his voice breaking. “If it weren’t for you, how could I accidentally hurt poor Aura and kill her?” His tone cracked with rising emotion. “Huh? You ruined everything!”
Eloise blinked once, then twice, before letting out a dry, mocking laugh. Her hand touch
