ETHAN'S POV

Sophia’s face carried a mixture of innocence and irritation now, as if I’d accused her of some petty treachery. “We agreed on this,” she insisted softly. “I thought you knew.” There was the smallest tremble in her voice, maybe embarrassment, maybe guilt. The thing about alliances is that they require calibration. Sophia and I had been on the same page until this very second. Now the margins have shifted.

I considered my options. Backtrack and pretend I’d misspoken? That would look weak. Tell them the truth about my intentions with Cassandra and risk the entire stratagem? That would be reckless. Pivot to another lie, an elegant half-truth that...