Third Person's POV
Mortimer's brow hit a hard knot as his thumb rhythmically swiped across his phone. He was looking at something—or maybe he was waiting for something.
Deep in his consciousness, Barton was letting out a low, expectant howl.
Vivian couldn't take the silence anymore.
She shot a look at Lillian—a signal.
The tears were still there, but they were now sharpened with a new, desperate edge.
Lillian caught the cue. She wiped her eyes, her voice cracking with a practiced sob. "Mortimer, look at her. The internet is full of monsters accusing her of attacking Seraphina on purpose. Vivian is devastated. She was adamant about apologizing to Seraphina in person. We couldn't even stop her."
She reached out, stroking Vivian's hair like she was calming a wounded pup.
"Vivian has b
