The air inside Daniel's office shifted the moment Norma stepped in. Her sharp eyes pierced through her nephew, missing nothing as they lingered on his conflicted expression.
"You don't seem happy seeing me, Daniel," she said at last. Her deep voice cut cleanly through the deafening silence.
Henry, standing off to the side, instinctively glanced at Daniel. Norma was supposed to arrive a week later. Her presence now, unannounced and unapologetic, had clearly caught them both off guard.
Daniel held her gaze for a second before looking away, schooling his features into something neutral. When he finally looked back at her, his voice was smooth, almost casual.
"Why wouldn't I be happy to see you, Aunt Norma?" he replied. "I'm just… surprised. You arrived earlier than planned."
Norma's lips curved, but there was no warmth in the gesture. She took a few unhurried steps into the room, her heels echoing against the floor as if marking territory.
