"I might have fibbed a bit. He's not really my boyfriend. He's a mutual friend of Rosalynn and me."

In order to garner Barlow's favor for a request, she decided to keep her demeanor as amicable as possible.

Regardless of his comments, she resolved to avoid snapping back at him.

“Really now? So, you've taken up the habit of flirting with your male friends in public?" Barlow sneered.

Karina managed to suppress her rising anger, responding with a strained smile, "We're just really close friends."