"Jake just went to bed," she said, her face softening with a rare, gentle expression that only appeared when she spoke of Jake.
Then, with a hint of regret, she added, "You have no idea how much he cried."
"Missing his mom already?" Marcus remarked casually, rubbing his nose as he glanced back, inadvertently locking eyes with me standing behind him.
A shiver ran down my spine as I stood there.
Meanwhile, Marcus's gaze drifted past me to something behind.
The tension in my body eased a bit, and I couldn't help but find the earlier scene somewhat amusing.
How could Marcus possibly notice me?
Up ahead, Mother continued her relentless tirade, as if she wouldn't stop until she'd completely torn me down.
But Marcus had no interest in listening to such pointless drivel.
With a raised han
