Kate's silence only made things worse. Grayson took a step forward.

"Answer me! Are you still in love with him?!"

She lifted her chin, arms crossed tight against her chest.

"I don't owe you anything, Grayson. Even if I still carry your last name… you mean nothing to me."

The words hit like a slap. He blinked, slow and hard, like he was trying not to break apart. Or maybe trying not to break something else.

Kate saw it. And for a second, she relished it.

"However," she added, steady, eyes locked on his, "I'll clear the air for you. Yes. Ethan is my ex-boyfriend."

A muscle ticked in Grayson's jaw, a thin fuse of dynamite sparking under the skin.

"We ran into each other at an alumni reunion. That's all. A coincidence."

The tension between them crackled, thick and charged, a storm waiting to hit.

"A coincidence," he repeated, laughing bitterly. There was no humor in his voice, only venom. "So that's why his hand was on your waist? Out of courtesy?"

Kate narrowed her e