Chapter 20: The Imposter's Gambit

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the park as Natasha strode purposefully towards their usual bench. She plopped down with a sigh, the air whooshing out of her lungs in a dramatic exhale. "Here we are again," Mariana said, a playful lilt in her voice as she joined Natasha. "Another rendezvous in our favourite haven for the lovelorn and heartbroken." Natasha scoffed. "Don't even get me started on love," she grumbled. "In fact, I think I hate men." Mariana's laughter echoed through the park. "Whoa, that escalated quickly. Don't tell me you finally succumbed to online dating and got cat-fished by a prince charming with a stock photo and a thirst for your social security number?" Natasha glared at her friend "No, this is serious, Mari. I actually thought…" Her voice trailed off, and she looked away, clenching her jaw. Mariana's smile faltered. She sat a little closer "Okay, spill it. What happened?" Natasha took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping. "I caught him. The