Chapter 206: Rot in her past
Outside the prison gates, the sun hung low, lazy, heavy, and indifferent to the weight of human lives unraveling beneath it. Ethan stepped out, his mind still cluttered with Maria’s confession, the ache of unfinished guilt gnawing at his chest. He barely noticed the figure leaning against a black SUV at first, tall, sharp suit, phone in hand.
It wasn’t until the man’s head tilted up that recognition struck. Rafael. What the hell is he doing here? Ethan wondered.
They locked eyes for a beat too long. No warmth. Just the quiet hum of unspoken history and mutual disdain.
Ethan smirked first, breaking the charged silence between them. "Must be a curse," he drawled, voice slick with mockery, "running into you everywhere, Rafa."
But Rafael wasn’t listening to him. Not really. His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to Mara, wondering if she and Ethan had arrived together last night. The image twisted something sharp and ugly in his chest, a spark of rage threatening to catch. But he buried it. He always did.
Ethan tilted his head, eyes gleaming like a predator who smelled blood. "Didn’t know you were practicing law now," he quipped, gesturing lazily toward the prison looming behind them. "Or is it just a visit to an old lover?"
Rafael let out a dry, humorless scoff and forced a smile — tight, polished, and utterly devoid of warmth. "Good to see you too, Ethan," he murmured, voice steady as a drawn blade. "Yeah... I practice. Some cases deserve more than a defense. Some deserve justice."
The air between them crackled.
Ethan chuckled, waving a dismissive hand as Rafael started toward the entrance. But he wasn’t done.