Chapter 42 Family Discovery

• The morning air in the mansion was heavy, thick with unspoken words and tension that had been quietly brewing. Celia sat at the kitchen island, absentmindedly stirring her coffee. The light clink of the spoon against the porcelain mug was the only sound in the room until the soft footsteps of her mother broke the silence.
• Her parents had been back for a week now, and while everything seemed normal on the surface, there was an undercurrent of suspicion in the way her mother looked at her. Celia could feel it in the lingering gazes, the probing questions disguised as casual conversation.
• Her father entered next, a newspaper tucked under one arm and a knowing look on his face. “Good morning, sweetheart,” he said, leaning in to kiss the top of her head. “You’ve been spending a lot of time here lately.”