Elena blinked, as if she hadn't heard correctly. She stared at her father, disbelief written plainly across her face.
She then looked at her mother. Evelyn's gaze was steady and offered nothing soft to hold onto.
She opened her mouth. Closed it. The words were forming slowly, gathering themselves from somewhere further down than usual.
Beside her, Lucas had not moved. If anything, his expression barely changed. There was no shock. No confusion. As if he had been expecting this all along.
Elena's fingers tightened slightly against her lap.
"Why?" she asked, her voice steady but firm. "If you're asking me to end my relationship, I deserve to know why."
The question hung in the room.
Reginald looked at his daughter for a long moment. Then, without answering her, he turned his gaze back to Lucas.
"Mr. Blackwood," Reginald began, his tone controlled, "you are, without question, an outstanding man."
Elena frowned faintly at the choice of words.
