As I turned to leave the dining room, Gabriel’s voice stopped me mid-step.
“Lyra,” he said, his tone low but pointed. “Why are you calling me by my name?”
I froze, my hand hovering near the doorframe. His words sent a sharp pang through my chest, but I masked it with a neutral expression as I turned back to face him.
“What do you mean?” I asked, though the question was more to buy time than anything else.
“When you first came here, you called me father,” Gabriel said, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he leaned forward in his chair. “Now it’s Gabriel. Why the sudden change?”
I swallowed, feeling the weight of his gaze. The room seemed colder, the tension heavier. “It’s... nothing. Just a slip of the tongue,” I said quickly, avoiding his eyes. “I haven’t gotten used to... this new re
