Chapter 223: Broken Trust

"Well, that was spectacularly unhelpful," Vyan sighed, leaning back in his chair. They had spent ages discussing the novel over dinner, but it felt as though they had made no progress at all.

Leila nodded, setting down her napkin as the last of the plates were cleared away. "Yeah, I know. Too many things have changed from the original story."

"At least we learned a few things," Iyana offered, trying to keep the mood light.

"Not that anything is certain," Vyan replied, worry creasing his brow as he gazed into the empty space before him.

Iyana reached out, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat. "It's going to be okay. Don't stress too much."

Vyan managed a small, wry smile, but his eyes flicked to her lips, lingering there for a beat too long. "Your lip color… it's a little smudged," he noted, almost absently.