The moment Fred and Gabe entered the dining hall, Damien looked up from the long polished table. His sharp gaze immediately locked onto them, lingering briefly on Gabe as his wheelchair was pushed forward.
"So," Damien said at last, breaking the silence, his tone carrying mild amusement and impatience, "you two finally decided to show up."
Without responding, Fred pushed the wheelchair closer to the table and carefully helped Gabe settle into a dining chair positioned directly opposite Alex. Only after making sure Gabe was comfortable did Fred pull out a chair for himself and sit down across from Damien.
"What exactly took you so long?" Damien continued, leaning back slightly in his chair, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "We even sent servants to check on you, but they said you told them to leave."
Fred exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his neck as though the exhaustion still clung to him.
