My father, jolted by Elise's tone, finally managed a strangled sound, a sort of strangled gasp that he quickly tried to disguise as a cough. He blinked, a slow, deliberate movement, as if trying to clear the impossible image from his eyes. He then looked at me, his expression a painful mix of bewilderment and a desperate plea for understanding. His hand, still hovering in mid-air, finally found my arm, his grip surprisingly tight, almost bruising.
Leo, bless his dramatic heart, finally found his voice, but it was a shaky whisper. "So... so you're telling me... this is why you've been so secretive, Izzy? Why you and Aria are like, 'Oh, it's just a complicated situation'? Complicated like owning half the world, complicated?" He gestured wildly with his fork, nearly spearing a passing waiter. "I thought you meant, like, a complicated dating history! Or maybe you owed someone money! Not... this!"
