Chapter 1064

The little tavern stood as an oasis of calm, shielding its patrons from the clamor of the bustling commercial street outside. Hazel sipped her juice through a straw, taking small, deliberate sips. The drink itself was nothing special—just freshly squeezed orange juice, and a bit too sour at that. But when the roving disco lights in the bar flickered across a dimly lit corner opposite her, her pupils suddenly constricted. There, in that shadowy nook, sat someone she knew all too well. Her brother. "I need to use the restroom," she said to Frederick with practiced nonchalance before rising from her seat. Frederick offered to accompany her, but she declined. Once inside the bathroom, she pulled out her phone and texted her brother: *"Are you back? I think I just saw you."* A reply came almost instantly: *"Yes. Ignore me. Pretend you didn’t."* Her fingers tightened around the phone as she stared at the message, her eyes clouded with thought. She didn’t look away until five seconds later, w