After brooding all day in her room, Alicia still hadn't come down to eat, and Carlos had pointedly ignored her existence.
When evening fell, hunger finally drove her downstairs, though she'd intended to just grab something quickly.
The dining table stood ready, courtesy of Rita's preparations. Carlos sat there looking completely unruffled, having slipped in unnoticed at some point.
Rita fidgeted anxiously before him. "Sir... perhaps you should check on Mrs. Radiance? She hasn't eaten all day."
Carlos cut another deliberate piece of steak, his attention never wavering from his plate as he chewed slowly. "If she's not hungry, she won't come down. When she's desperate enough, she'll appear."
The careless remark reached Alicia as she hovered at the stairway, her nails digging into her pal
