Chapter 132 Poison Behind The Smile

• The Kareem mansion’s dining room shimmered with polished elegance. Crystal chandeliers cast soft golden light over the long obsidian table, each flicker reflecting off delicate wine glasses and silver cutlery perfectly aligned on fine bone china. But beneath the pristine luxury, the air was thick — heavy with silence, tension, and things unsaid.
• Imani sat at the far end of the table, her spine straight, posture impeccable. Her tailored emerald-green dress hugged her subtly rounded belly, though it was still concealed well enough to remain unnoticed. She sliced her grilled salmon methodically, but the food on her plate barely shifted. Her fork clinked quietly against the plate — a repetitive sound, delicate but unnerving in the otherwise quiet room.
• Chief Kareem sat at the head of the table, glancing from her to his son with an air of controlled concern. The patriarch’s fingers drummed lightly against the mahogany, his face unreadable but his eyes calculating, as if waiting for someone to speak the truth that hung like smoke in the air.