Chapter Thirty-Six: Emma's POV

I watched as Daniel's expression shifted from relaxed to tense in an instant. He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor of the restaurant. "I… I have to go," he stammered, his face pale.

"What's going on? Where are you going?" I asked, alarmed, but he was already moving, his eyes unfocused, like he was in a trance.

He didn't even look back as he hurried out the door, leaving me sitting there in stunned silence. Anger started to bubble up inside me.

How could he just leave like that, without any explanation? We were in the middle of a lovely evening, and now I was left alone, humiliated, with no idea what was happening.

I sat there for a few more moments, hoping he would come back or at least text me an explanation. But as the minutes ticked by, my anger only grew. I grabbed my purse and headed outside, my heels clicking sharply against the pavement as I flagged down a taxi.

The ride home was a blur of frustration and worry. I kept checking my phone, hoping for