Roman's brow furrowed as Rosaline's words sank in. A cold fear began to take root in his mind, replacing the entire excitement.
"My mama isn't like that," Roman said, his voice trembling but firm. He squeezed the ball in his hands. "She is my mother. She is lovely, and she gives me all the love she has."
Rosaline realized she had pushed too hard. She quickly dropped to her knees, bringing herself level with him to appear less threatening. "You're misunderstanding me, Roman," she said, her voice dropping to manipulative him. "I was speaking about stepmothers in general. I didn't mean yours specifically."
"Miss Rosaline, what are you discussing with the young master?" Louis's voice cut through the air in a suspicious gaze.
The moment Roman saw his uncle, he dropped his ball and ran. He threw his arms around Louis's legs. "Uncle, I want to go to my mama. Now."
