Everything suddenly felt surreal. The weight of the moment pressed down on my chest, heavy and unrelenting, but backing out wasn't an option..
not anymore.
"Are you sure she won't kill us when she wakes up?" Ken's voice cracked through the silence from his corner, thinly veiled nerves lacing every word. His fingers drummed against his thigh, betraying the composure he tried to hold.
Xavier chuckled, low and dry. "If you were this scared, you should've stayed back and handled the business in Nix's absence," he said, not bothering to glance in Ken's direction.
But Ken's anxieties were the least of my concerns.
Tom, Luna, Zamiel, and his fiancée were still at the dining party, keeping up appearances, trying to keep the suspicions at bay. Yet the old man's unwavering gaze lingered on the painting before us, his silence more telling than any accusation. It was only a matter of time before cracks began to show.
