Chapter 186 Shadows Behind the Glass

Chapter 186 Shadows Behind the Glass
The restaurant looked warm from the outside, with warm white lights glowing beautifully, welcoming Frel as she stepped inside with mixed feelings to meet the surprise from Kenn.

Dara, who had just made sure her friend entered safely, initially intended to head straight to the parking lot. She had even taken several steps away from the restaurant yard. However, her steps stopped when her eyes caught a silhouette she knew very well.

In a slightly dark corner, Gita was still standing there. She did not move, nor did she seem about to leave. She just stood still, far too long for someone who should have finished dropping off her friend. Her eyes were fixed through the restaurant glass, watching Frel’s back as it began to move away.

Gita’s expression was hard to interpret, there was a kind of emptiness in the glimmer of her eyes, but also a flash that made the hairs on the back of Dara’s neck stand on end instantly.

Dara frowned while observing for a few more seconds. Yet Gita remained standing there, staring inside with an expression Dara could not read. The suspicion she had been suppressing now surfaced again. Silently, she walked closer.

"Gita?"

Gita did not immediately turn. Only after Dara stood a few steps behind her did Dara call again.

"Gita! Why haven’t you gone home?"

Gita jerked violently. Her eyes widened, looking very startled as if she had just been caught red-handed committing a crime. She quickly turned toward Dara with a panicked face. She had truly thought Dara had already left with the others.

Gita quickly moistened her lips, trying to calm herself.

"Oh, yes ... in a moment, Dara," Gita answered stammeringly, her fingers nervously squeezing the end of her bag. "I was just making sure Frel really met Kenn. Poor thing, their love always seems to have someone interfering."

Dara did not answer immediately. She folded her arms across her chest, standing straight with her chin slightly raised, her signature arrogant pose that always managed to intimidate whoever she spoke to. Her sharp eyes stared at Gita inquisitively, as if observing the lie behind that innocent face.

The corner of Dara’s lips lifted slightly. A smile that looked more cynical than friendly.

"You’re right," Dara said coldly. "Hopefully this time there will be no more interference." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And even if in the future there are people who want to ruin their relationship, I believe their love will not waver. They have their own way of holding on."

Gita looked awkward. "Yes … hopefully," she replied softly.

The atmosphere fell silent again for a moment. Dara was still staring at her with investigative eyes. Then she changed her standing position, a little more relaxed but still alert.

"By the way, Frel said you two have become friends. Is that true?"

Hearing Frel’s name mentioned, the tension on Gita’s face eased slightly, although her nervousness had not completely disappeared.

Gita nodded quickly. "Yes, we’ve become friends." She gave a small smile. "Frel is a very kind person. I’ve never seen anyone as kind as her."

"Yeah, that’s fine," Dara cut in quickly. "As long as no one takes advantage of her kindness."

"It won’t happen! I truly want to be friends with Frel," Gita replied in a slightly higher tone, as if trying to convince herself.

Dara looked at her for a few more seconds, trying to read something hidden behind that nervous face. Then she shrugged lightly.

"Okay." She took a brief breath. "Because earlier I misunderstood you, and ... yeah, hopefully it really was a misunderstanding, but anyway I apologize."

Gita looked surprised, but she quickly nodded. "Yes, Dara, I forgive you," Gita answered nervously.

"Okay, we’re friends now," Dara said firmly. She stepped closer, whispering a sentence in a casual tone that sounded more like a warning. "And I will be watching you."

Gita instantly fell silent. For a moment her expression stiffened, but she quickly forced a smile again.

Dara did not say anything else. However, in her heart, her thoughts were never truly at ease.

Honestly, since the first time she met Gita, Dara had already felt that something was not right. Not something she could explain with logic. Just a premonition.

There was something out of sync between Gita’s sweet words and the look in her eyes that sometimes felt cold. The way Gita appeared in Frel’s life felt too sudden. The way she got close also felt too fast. All of that had made Dara wary from the beginning.

There was only one big problem. Frel, with all the softness of her heart, seemed very sincere in trusting Gita as a new friend. And Dara knew one thing about her best friend, if Frel had already opened her heart to someone, it would be very difficult to make her close that door again.

That was why Dara had to swallow her suspicion and choose to remain silent in order to respect Frel’s decision. Not because she truly believed in Gita, but because she had no other choice except to follow Frel’s wishes.

But that did not mean she would let her guard down. In her heart, Dara still kept a small hope. Hopefully her premonition all this time was indeed wrong.

Dara looked back toward the restaurant, where Frel was enjoying the surprise prepared by Kenn, then shifted her gaze to Gita who was still standing awkwardly in front of her.

Dara let out a soft sigh. She tried to lighten the atmosphere, her tone this time a little lighter even though it still left a distance.

"Do you want to ride with me? I'm heading home too. If our houses are in the same direction, I can drop you off."

The offer sounded quite friendly, but Dara’s tone remained flat, as if she were merely making ordinary small talk.

Gita quickly shook her head, seeming a little too hurried to refuse. "Oh, no need, Dara. Thank you very much. I ... I came with the family driver. The car is parked across there. So I can just go home."

Dara followed the direction of Gita’s gaze for a moment, then gave a small nod.

"Okay." She slipped both hands into her jacket pockets. "Good then. See you tomorrow at school, Gita."

"Yes, Dara. Be careful on the way," Gita replied, still with the same nervous tone.

Dara walked off toward her car without looking back. She realized that in her daily life she was often considered excessive, too expressive, talkative, and sometimes her restless behavior was enough to make everyone at home feel stressed. However, that cheerfulness would vanish instantly when it involved Frel.

She was the type of person who was very selective about who was allowed to get close to her best friend. The wounds from Frel’s past were her wounds too, and Dara had already sworn that anyone who tried to hurt her best friend again would have to face her first.

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