Chapter 182

• Chapter 182: Parental Intervention
• SERENA'S POV
• Dad's expression hardens, his jaw set in that familiar way that always signals trouble. I've seen this look before—that resolute determination that settles over his features when he's made up his mind about something and refuses to be swayed. Mom's hand rests lightly on his forearm, her slender fingers applying gentle pressure in what I recognize as her attempt to calm him, but he shrugs it off with a subtle movement. This time, he doesn't want to have himself influenced by Mom's potential charm, which she usually wields with expert precision to diffuse his temper.