The dining room felt different the moment Sebastian stepped out after Olivia.
Warmth left with him.
Silence settled in its place.
Cecilia and Maya remained at the table, plates half‑finished, the scent of Olivia’s cooking still lingering in the air. Sunlight streamed through the balcony doors, but the atmosphere was anything but bright.
Cecilia placed her fork down carefully. Her voice was calm, but her eyes were sharp.
“Why would you say you’re engaged to my son?”
Maya stiffened. “It’s none of your business.”
“Oh, it is,” Cecilia replied, leaning back in her chair. “You and Sebastian broke up long before we went broke. So why pretend otherwise?”
Maya’s jaw tightened. “I don’t owe you an explanation.”
Cecilia’s appetite vanished. She pushed her plate away. “You only liked Sebastia
