(Sophie)
I stayed on the couch, feeling my hands tingle a little from tension. Agent Maddox and Briggs sat across from me, their posture stiff, eyes scanning, ready for anything. I could see a shadow of something darker in Alexander's gaze. My parents and James were watching him closely. I felt it too. The energy in the room shifted.
Alexander didn’t move or speak at first. He just stared at Agent Maddox, his eyes cold and unyielding. I noticed the slight tension in her shoulders and the way Briggs’ fingers tapped lightly on his folder. I had seen Alexander this way before. Calm, but dangerous. I felt my stomach tighten just looking at him. My parents and James had the same reaction.
“Briggs, Maddox,” Alexander said, “I suggest you think carefully about every move here. One wrong step a
