章 71: Chapter Seventy-one

The air in the room felt heavy as Ariana watched Ethan from across the table. His gaze was distant, his mind clearly preoccupied with something she couldn't grasp. She had noticed the change in him over the past few days– the way he seemed to withdraw into himself, the way he avoided her questions with vague responses. It gnawed at her, filling her with a sense of unease and uncertainty.

"Ethan, is everything okay?" she finally asked, her voice soft with concern.

Ethan looked up, his eyes meeting hers briefly before darting away. "Yeah, everything's fine," he replied, his tone forced and devoid of its usual warmth.

But Ariana knew better than to believe his words. There was a wall between them now, a barrier she couldn't seem to break through no matter how hard she tried. His usual warmth had been replaced by an unsettling distance, and she couldn't shake the feeling of being shut out.

"Ethan, please… talk to me," she pressed, her voice barely a whisper.