Seeing this little devil finally come out, Richard let out a long breath, his nerves finally calming down.
Cassandra crouched down beside him, eyes still red but teasing as she said, “Real men don’t cry, remember? And you even said you’d protect me with tear-streaked cheeks?”
That feeling—of being needed, being trusted—actually felt kind of nice.
At her words, Zion quickly wiped away his tears with a dramatic swipe and managed a sheepish grin up at her.
“So, tell me… what happened?” she coaxed gently.
“It’s Aunt Lillian’s fault…” Zion blurted out, visibly upset.
Richard’s face darkened immediately, and standing behind him, Lillian turned pale. Her whole body flinched.
“Lillian, what did you do to Zion?” Richard asked sharply, turning to face her.
“Oh come on, Rich
