Damon's POV
Something about Maya's brother's reaction to his stepmother caught my attention. It wasn't just casual dislike—there was conviction behind his words. What really piqued my curiosity was their father's reaction. Orson seemed unnaturally disturbed by his son's comment and quickly scolded him.
"Enough, Cole! You've been like this ever since Maya visited your place," Orson reprimanded, but his words only fueled my interest.
"Impressed by what?" I asked, sensing there was more to this story than they were letting on.
"Cole hadn't seen his sister for a year after she moved here," Orson explained. "When she finally visited him in the city to tell him she was relocating, he's been fixated on how different she looks."
I shook my head. "When I first met Maya, she was already like this. Whatever transformation you're talking about had already happened."
"Dad, you can't keep denying the resemblance," Cole insisted, frustration evident in his voice.
