Yes, she had told herself that Carl's panic at the training grounds was because he thought Nnenna was her friend. She had forced herself to believe that. That it was all just a big misunderstanding, a coincidence. A glitch in reality.
But deep down, where her pride couldn't reach and her fears festered, she knew it was a lie.
He hadn't even looked at her.
Not once.
If they went to him now, in front of all these people...
She would be exposed.
Not just as a liar, but as a delusional, desperate girl clinging to a fantasy that had already crumbled.
"No," Jana muttered, voice barely above a whisper.
But no one heard her. Nnenna had already reached the door, holding it open, calm as ever.
"Well?" she asked softly, looking directly at Jana. "Are you coming?"
All eyes shifted to Jana again.
This time, there was no mockery. Only judgment.
And the terrifying weight of truth.
Jana's eyes flickered, and in an instant, she switched tactics.
