Elena quickly placed her phone in her pocket.
“Yes,” she answered calmly. “Dad just needs a few minutes.”
The silence outside told her Chloe was listening.
Elena helped her father finish getting ready. She chose her words carefully.
“We’re going downstairs,” she said. “And we’re going to act normal.”
Thomas looked worried.
“Why?”
“Because I need time.”
“You believe me?”
Elena looked directly into his eyes.
“I believe that something is wrong. And I’m going to find out exactly what.”
For the first time that evening, her father looked relieved.
Not because everything was fixed.
Because someone finally believed he deserved to be heard.
When they returned to the living room, Julian was sitting comfortably in his chair, scrolling through his phone.
“There you are,” he said. “I was starting to worry.”
