Page 102 of The Bittersweet Bond

Enough to make her want to run and kiss him at the same time.

The arrogance of it sparked something inside her.

She wasn’t going to let him think it was that easy.

Without thinking, she raised a finger and waved it playfully in front of his face, her eyes flashing with a mix of mischief and just a hint of provocation.

Bas watched her with that expression she knew all too well—like he could see right through her, like he knew exactly what she was doing. His eyes narrowed slightly, that smirk still lingering, and something about it made her want to laugh.

She liked it. This tiny moment of control. Even if it was fleeting.

“No way,” she laughed, shaking her head once more before abruptly turning away from him.

Every smile felt like a mask, something to hide behind. It was easier to play with him than to let him see how broken she really was.

She leaned in toward Milka, her lips right at her ear. “I’m heading to the bar for a sec. Need a break.”

Milka nodded, letting her go without question, still moving to the music.

Evin took a deep breath as she made her way through the crowd, pushing past dancing bodies. The heat of Bas’s gaze still clung to her, and she knew she had almost let herself get pulled into something she wasn’t ready for.

Would she ever be ready again?

Pushing through the crowd, Evin finally reached the bar. The clinking of glasses, the chatter around her—all of it blurred into a distant hum.

She needed a drink. Something to push everything else away.

“One vodka energy, please.”

She leaned against the counter, running a hand through her hair as she exhaled sharply. Her pulse was still racing.

The bartender slid the drink toward her. She grabbed it, stared at the glass—then hesitated.

What the hell am I doing?

She had come here to feel something. To escape. To prove that she was still in control.

But now, staring down at her drink in her hand, she wasn’t sure what this even was anymore.

This wasn’t who she used to be.

It wasn’t who she wanted to be.

Evin clung to the bar with one arm, as if trying to find something solid in a world that kept spinning around her. Her fingers tightened around the glass,the warmth of the alcohol pulsing in her head, but inside, a fire raged, threatening to crush her.

She raised the glass to her lips—then suddenly stopped.

A hand on her shoulder.

She flinched, turning around—only to find herself staring into Bas’s breathtaking eyes.

His smile was slightly crooked, as always, and that playful spark in his gaze—it was still there.

She had missed it. More than she wanted to admit.

"Looks like that glass is getting more attention than me," he teased lightly.

"At least it would listen," she muttered.

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