Victor's voice came from behind me, quiet but unexpected, and the sound of it sent a sharp, involuntary jolt through my chest before I could stop myself.
"Alyssa?"
For a brief second, my entire body stilled, the pink diary still resting in my hands as my fingers instinctively tightened around it.
I forced myself to loosen my grip almost immediately, drawing in a slow breath as I turned carefully, deliberately, refusing to look like someone who had been caught doing something she shouldn't.
Victor stood by the doorway, one hand still resting lightly against the frame as though he had only just arrived.
His brows were drawn together slightly, not in suspicion, but in mild confusion, his gaze shifting from my face to the diary in my hands with quiet curiosity rather than accusation.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The silence wasn't heavy, but it lingered just long enough to make everything feel a little more exposed than it should have.
