In his eyes
Sure", Angela enveloped her in a big hug and they air-kissed each other. Nora didn't see the hug coming but she appreciated it.
Angelina's embrace, sudden and warm, startled Nora but the hug, sincere or practised, was a welcome respite from the storm cloud swirling within her. The audience's immediate applause seemed orchestrated, yet another layer of artifice in this world of curated appearances.
Taking a seat on the infamous couch, a velvet throne where countless dreams had been built and shattered, Nora met Angelina's gaze. "You're even more beautiful in person," the host remarked, her eyes, like chipped sapphires, holding an unreadable glint.