The dining room stayed frozen.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. Just stared at the woman in red standing there like she owned the place.
Eleanor's voice cut through the silence. Sharp. Cold. "I asked you a question. Who are you?"
But the woman didn't even look at her. Her eyes stayed locked on Landon. Like he was the only person in the room. Like everyone else didn't exist.
Noah's voice came out confused. Angry. "Who the hell is she?"
Landon stood slowly. His chair scraped against the floor. Loud in the quiet room.
His jaw was tight. Face pale. But his eyes were hard.
"Excuse me," he said. To no one. To everyone.
He walked toward the woman. Each step measured. Controlled. But his heart was racing. Pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
When he reached her, h
