Lyla's POV:
I looked back and forth between them, trying to read the heavy tension in the room. Marissa gave me a small, apologetic smile that did not quite reach her eyes. Declan stayed completely silent, but his gaze locked onto mine with a quiet intensity that said everything he would not voice out loud.
*Stay.*
He would never beg, but I understood what he needed. So I pulled out a chair and sat down.
Marissa wrapped both hands tightly around her mug, as if it could keep her grounded. Her knuckles turned white. "I lost my apartment," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Declan did not react at all. His face stayed completely blank.
"The landlord raised the rent, and I just could not keep up with it anymore. I tried everything, but the numbers did not add up."
Still nothing
