The name hit her like a quiet jolt.
Her lips parted slightly, but no words came. Cross? Her eyes flicked instinctively toward the entrance, half expecting Damian or clara to appear.
Scott's smile didn't waver. "It's good to finally meet you, Ava."
She managed a stiff nod, trying to steady her breath. "Likewise," she murmured, though her voice barely sounded like her own.
He tilted his head slightly, studying her as though measuring her reaction. "You look surprised."
"I just didn't know there were more Crosses," she said quietly and didn't add the part where she was expecting or was prepared to meet any more Crosses.
His eyes glinted with something she couldn't name. "There's a lot you don't know."
Before she could reply, Clara's voice echoed faintly down the hall, calling her name. Scott smiled again, it was polite, charming, and just a little too calm.
