Kimi glanced toward her brother from her position on the staircase. Alvin sat motionless on the couch, his usually confident demeanor cracked wide open. His three closest friends stood frozen around the living room, their faces etched with disbelief and hurt.
Nathan broke the tense silence first, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
"Are you serious right now?" His hands clenched at his sides. "This is really how you want to handle things?"
Malachi shook his head slowly, disappointment radiating from every line of his body. "Alvin, we get it. You finally have the family you always wanted. But you're throwing away the people who were your family when you had nobody else."
Brennan's gaze flickered to Kimi before settling back on Alvin with laser focus. His words carried the weight of years of shared history.
