This wasn't Joyce Monroe's first time visiting the Thorne family, but she was particularly nervous on this occasion. She changed her outfit three or four times, and Silas Thorne waited with immense patience until she was ready to go.
The wind was strong and the air heavy with cold. The chill made Joyce Monroe shiver the moment she stepped outside. Thankfully, she was wearing a hat. She pulled the collar of her sweater up, covering the lower half of her face and leaving only her eyes exposed.
On the way to the Thorne Estate, a breaking news report on the radio was covering the state visit from a certain foreign country.
When the members of the reception delegation were mentioned, the first name was that of the Thorne family's eldest son.
"Will your older brother be there today?" Joyce Monroe asked. She was not, of course, referring to Kian Jacobs.
"I'm not sure. Why?"
"I just find him rather intimidating."
What she really meant was:
He's terrifying!
