Chapter 196

Christina's POV "I understand," I said, then hung up. The dining table was set perfectly. Cutlery lined up just right, wine chilled, plates still warm with the food I'd made. I stood there for a moment, then dropped into my chair and tried to eat. Three bites in, I gave up. Everything tasted like nothing. I pushed the food aside, grabbed the remote, and fell onto the couch. Thirty minutes went by. I couldn't remember what I'd watched. Looking up, I realized Tom and Jerry was playing with no sound. I let out a quiet laugh. Nothing about this was actually funny. "He's with her, isn't he?" Akira growled in my head. "We don't know that," I said back, but I was starting to doubt myself. I got up, brought Ysolde's cake from the kitchen, and put it on the coffee table. I found a small spoon and started eating straight from the box. The cake was soft and perfectly sweet, the frosting cutting through the richness. Way better than anything I'd made tonight. After a few bites, I switched to some