Chapter 52 Heated Argument At Dinner

• ~ Elara ~
• The dining room felt impossibly large and cold as I entered, my steps echoing softly against the polished floor. Thorne was already seated at the long wooden table, alone, his broad back facing me. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting flickering shadows along the walls, but it did little to warm the tension that hovered in the air between us.
• I paused in the doorway, hesitating for a moment before making my way to the chair across from him. He didn’t look up as I sat down, his eyes fixed on the food in front of him, his expression unreadable. For a few minutes, we ate in silence, the clink of utensils the only sound filling the room. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but I forced myself to eat, mostly to avoid the inevitable conversation that was bound to happen.