The dining room fell into an uneasy quiet after Tay’s abrupt departure. Anya sat with her arms crossed, her lips pressed into a tight line, while Axel paced furiously, his fists clenching and unclenching. Maya, still seated, stared down at the untouched tea before her, struggling to find the right words. The weight of Tay’s actions, especially his comment about his concubines, hung heavily in the air.
“To say I’m furious would be an understatement,” Axel finally spat, his voice sharp and biting. “Concubines? Is that what he’s doing while claiming to be protecting you, Maya?”
Anya, usually the calmer of the two, looked equally dismayed. “How can you stand it? That’s beyond disrespectful,” she added, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Maya inhaled deeply, steeling herself. She knew she had to
