Ava felt the pounding in her skull, a sharp ache from the upgrade forcing itself into her system. She needed time to process—time she didn't have.
So instead? She smiled.
She tilted her head, her gaze flicking lazily to Locke, letting her smirk curl at the edges. "You know, Captain, I expected more resistance."
Locke chuckled, clearly amused. "Oh?"
Ava rested her elbow on the table, chin in her palm. "You don't strike me as the type to let a woman walk all over you."
Jessica went rigid beside her, eyes narrowing.
Locke leaned in slightly, smirk widening. "Depends on the woman."
Ava let the pause stretch, her fingers tracing the rim of her empty glass. "Good to know."
Then—
Angel laughed.
Slow. Controlled. Sharp.
It wasn't forced, nor was it pleasant. It was the kind of laugh that came from someone who had already decided the outcome of this conversation.
Ava didn't even have to look to know what was coming.
"We're married," Angel said smoothly.
