Lunch was set on the massive dining table, and I couldn’t help but feel a knot of unease tighten in my chest. Carol sat beside me, her warm presence soothing, but Aleksi perched on the edge of her chair across the table, exuding confidence bordering on defiance.
She was striking, with sharp green-hazel eyes that seemed to pierce through everything and everyone around her. Her posture was relaxed, but there was an unmistakable edge to her demeanor—like she was ready to go to battle at any moment.
Seth sat to her right, grinning like a Cheshire cat, clearly enjoying the chaos brewing under the surface. On the other hand, Kase had just walked in, his usual scowl in place as he took a seat directly across from Aleksi.
When I asked Seth why he was here, he told me he had asked Killian to sta
