But it lasted only a second.
"From next time," Aurora continued, her tone turning distant, almost detached, "I won't bother you."
Theodore froze.
"After all… family knows how to excuse things," she added with a faint, unreadable smile.
Theodore's expression stiffened, and the small smile on his face crumbled instantly.
"No, that's not what we meant," he said quickly, his voice laced with urgency. "We were just worried about you. If you kept stressing over this, it would only make things worse."
Aurora said nothing.
She neither agreed nor denied his words. She simply stood there, her face completely impassive, her eyes unreadable like a still lake hiding something deep beneath.
Seeing that expression, Theodore's heart sank.
'We're in trouble…' he thought, a chill creeping down his spine.
He began speaking again, trying to soften her mood, his tone almost pleading now as he continued to explain and reassure her.
