~CHAPTER EIGHTEEN~
Everyone freezes. I feel my heart jump.
My family’s eyes shift toward him, and my heart hammers, with fear, and with that strange, dangerous anticipation that always follows him.
Hardin steps forward, calm and commanding, his presence filling the room.
Every eye is on him, and I feel the weight of the coming week pressing down like a storm on the horizon.
Grandma’s eyes light up, and she immediately rises from her seat to welcome him. “Oh, you’re here! How lovely!” she says, her smile warm and inviting.
Hardin inclines his head slightly, a rare, almost soft smile touching his lips. “I missed the family lunch," he says smoothly, his voice calm but carrying that undeniable presence that makes everyone sit up straighter.
Grandma, ever the gracious hostess, volunteer
