97

97

Lilian

I stood there, frozen for a moment after Grace left, her excitement lingering in the air while I was trapped in a whirlpool of my own thoughts. Damien hadn’t said a word since she left, but I could feel the storm brewing inside him. His shoulders were tense, and he kept running a hand through his hair, something he only did when he was stressed beyond measure.

I cleared my throat, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Damien, what’s going on?" I asked softly, stepping closer to him. "You’re clearly not fine."

He stopped pacing, his eyes meeting mine, and I could see the frustration brewing behind them. "Lilian, we need to talk," he said, his voice low but sharp. My stomach clenched. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what was coming next.

"What’s wrong?" I pressed, hoping to keep the conversation calm.

He took a deep breath, rubbing his temples like he was trying to gather the right words. "It’s about the money."

I blinked, confused. "The money? What about it?"

"You’ve been