At that moment, upon hearing what Abigail just said, her father's head snapped toward her, his eyes wide with a mix of anger and sheer panic. His voice rose sharply, trembling but firm, "What are you doing?!" he barked, his words echoing through the room. "Keep your mouth shut and don't say any more words!" His whole body was tense, his tone dripping with desperation.
He pointed a shaking finger at her, his breath coming faster, as though each word he spoke was dragged out of a chest heavy with dread. "You don't actually know who you're talking to," he shouted again, almost pleading now. "Do you want to put this entire family into more problems than the ones we already found ourselves in?"
