Jason's POV

Her words don't just hit me as I approach her

"You were looking into my dad's case and didn't think to keep me updated?"

The softness from moments ago evaporates, leaving behind something sharp enough to cut glass. The warmth in the room vanishes, replaced by a sudden, biting cold that has nothing to do with the restaurant's climate control.

I freeze, the small box in my hand suddenly feeling like a lead weight. So this is how our perfect night shatters.

I exhale slowly, deliberately, placing the box on the table as if it's contaminated. "Diane..."

"Don't." She shakes her head, her eyes glossy but blazing with...