Chapter 181

Smoke curled from Ari’s cigarette, painting the air a hazy grey that mirrored the turmoil in his gut. The damn photo. It had landed on his phone like a digital bomb, the image glaring up with malicious intent. Elodie, all meek and acquiescent, nestled into the crook of Dashiell’s arm. A picture of pure, rekindled romance. Except, Ari knew better. He slammed his fist on the desk, the crystal ashtray scattering its contents. ‘Fake,’ he gritted out, the word a desperate plea to the universe. He wanted to barge into Elodie’s house right then, demand answers, shake some sense into her. But the clock on the wall mocked him with three glowing red digits: 11:58 PM. Calming down in this state was like trying to tame a hurricane with a spoon. Sleep, the great equalizer, was the only option. He tossed and turned through the night, the image of the photo burning into his eyelids. The morning sun, a cruel reminder of a new day, found Ari staring at the offending picture. His jaw clenched, his gaze