Elena sat frozen after Lucas finished speaking. Her mind felt blank for several seconds, as if her thoughts had stopped working altogether. The room was quiet except for the soft crackling of the fire in the fireplace. She could hear the faint whistle of the cold wind outside, but everything inside felt still.
For a long moment, Elena couldn't speak. She stared into the fire, her hands lying still in her lap. Her heart felt heavy, not with anger but with disbelief and confusion. Lucas waited quietly beside her, watching her reaction but saying nothing. He didn't try to explain further. He just let her absorb everything in her own time.
After several minutes, Elena blinked slowly and let out a deep breath. She looked at him again — really looked at him.
Her lips parted slightly as she tried to speak, but only managed a soft, unsure voice. "I… I didn't expect that."
Lucas gave a faint nod. "I know."
