"Wait..."
The sharp, deliberate command cut through the café's tense, stagnant air. Jayden ground to a halt mid-step. A heavy, agonizing silence fell over the room before he slowly turned back to face Keith, his posture rigid and uncompromising.
Without breaking eye contact for even a fraction of a second, Keith rose smoothly from his seat. There was a predatory, deliberate grace to his movements as he closed the distance between them, his gaze locked onto Jayden's like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. Every step felt calculated, designed to intimidate, to force a flicker of hesitation. But Jayden merely tilted his chin up a fraction of an inch—his expression a fortress of absolute indifference, refusing to give his adversary the satisfaction of seeing him flinch.
