Chapter 53

• DANIEL’S POV
• The restaurant table felt enormous, almost like a battlefield. Sienna sat across from me, a reassuring smile on her face, but I could feel her nervousness, a subtle tension in her posture.
• Beside her, Leo, looking taller and more grown-up than I remembered from our brief encounter, scrolled on his phone with a casual indifference. Next to him, Zoe, sharp and poised, watched the room with an almost clinical detachment, pointedly avoiding my gaze. This wasn't just a meeting. This was an evaluation.