|Theodore|
As soon as the meeting concluded, everyone wasted no time in making their exit. The heavy oak doors of the meeting hall swung shut with a resounding thud, sealing in the echoes of heated discussion that had filled the space moments ago. Though the room was now quieter, the tension remained—a thick, invisible fog clinging to the air.
Only six of us remained.
Carmella. Camilla. Killian. My parents. And me.
The others had gone, but the core of this tangled mess stayed behind.
Predictably, my parents gravitated toward Camilla without hesitation. My mother cupped her cheeks, her gaze sweeping across her face as if searching for any sign of distress. My father stood protectively beside her, his hand settling on her shoulder with the quiet authority he always carried.
“How have y
