Caesar’s eyes darted to Bryan, fury simmering beneath the surface. But before he could respond, Bryan’s next words hit him like a punch to the gut. "Did your new wife tell you to keep your distance from your own family?" Bryan taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice as he took another step closer, his voice rising above the tense atmosphere.
Caesar’s chest tightened, his breath coming in ragged bursts. The weight of Bryan’s accusation was like a knife twisting in his side. He wanted to yell, to shout, to defend Cloe and distance himself from the Johnsons, but Bryan’s words were designed to humiliate, to cut deep, and Caesar could feel their sting.
Cloe, caught between the two forces of Olivia’s brutal grip and Bryan’s cold mockery, felt her knees weaken, but she refused to give in. She pu
