After dinner, Lana brings out the laptop and pushes play on video and I see it's from the auction. My stomach churns as she plays it. The room is silent, the only sound the haunting echoes of that night. Boyd watches with a frown, but Lana’s expression remains unreadable. Watching this makes me sick, so I turn and look at my food, focusing on eating. Each frame drags me back to that horrid night, each face a reminder of my helplessness.
When it ends, Lana turns to Arlo. “You bid aggressively.”
“I wanted to ensure I won,” Arlo replies, his tone even, masking any emotion.
Lana nods slowly. “You did what you had to do. Boyd, it’s clear he followed the rules. She’s part of our family now.”
Boyd grumbles but doesn’t argue further. Lana’s word is final.
Lana then looks at me. "So, has your
