Sophia’s POV
My mother’s voice still hung in the air.
“Sophia?”
Everyone at the table was looking at me now.
My father.
My mother.
Tristan.
Emily.
Even the television seemed louder than before, the news anchor’s voice fading into background noise as my mind raced.
For a moment, I considered doing what I had always done.
Smiling.
Changing the subject.
Pretending everything was fine.
But something inside me resisted.
Maybe it was exhaustion.
Maybe it was the weight of the last few weeks finally pressing too heavily on my chest.
Or maybe it was the simple fact that these people sitting in front of me had known me my entire life.
If there was anywhere in the world I could stop pretending…
It was here.
I slowly put my fork down.
Emily noticed immediately.
Her posture straig
