"Sylvia, won't you come meet my uncle? I'm sure Aiden must have told you about him," Roderick said, pausing by the living room.
"Yes, he did," Sylvia replied, folding her arms. "But aren't you forgetting something? Your uncle has every reason to be upset with me. The only reason I come here every day is to check on Layla."
"Excuses, excuses," Roderick muttered with a teasing smirk. "Either way, be good to my uncle." He adjusted his jacket, clearly ready to leave.
"Why does it sound like you two are always at each other's throats?" Lucius's calm, steady voice drifted into the room, catching both of them off guard.
"Uncle, she always starts it!" Roderick said immediately, his tone half-whining, half-playful.
Sylvia rolled her eyes so hard that Lucius almost laughed. Roderick noticed, chuckled under his breath, and walked away, deliberately ignoring her glare.
"You two should really consider being friends," Layla remarked gently, her gaze settling on Sylvia.
