Chapter 38 Maya

• The evening had started to wind down, and the last of the guests had filtered out, leaving behind empty glasses, uneaten snacks, and the fading echoes of polite conversation. Victoria stood in the quiet of the living room, surveying the aftermath of Ethan’s birthday party.
• It had been a successful event in all the ways that mattered on the surface. Ethan had been happy, and everything had gone according to plan. But deep down, Victoria could still feel the weight of the evening, a tension that had lingered in the air all night.
• She wasn’t sure if it was just her mind playing tricks on her or if it was something more, but she kept returning to the same thought: Maya.