|Katherine|
“Did something happen, dear?”
The question came the moment we stepped through the front doors of the mansion, catching me completely off guard.
I flinched—barely, but enough to feel it on my shoulders. I hadn’t expected her to notice anything, let alone ask so quickly. The air in the foyer was still thick with silence when I turned to look at Javier, whose expression didn’t falter in the slightest. He met my eyes for a brief second—just long enough for something unspoken to pass between us—before turning smoothly to face his mother.
“She’s fine, Mom,” he said with practiced ease, his voice calm and convincing. “Why do you ask?”
I studied my mother-in-law closely. Her concern looked real, not rehearsed, not the kind that was faked for appearances. Still, part of me remained
