BETA LUCAS
I sat at the dining table with Jay, the scent of fresh coffee filling the kitchen as we ate in comfortable silence. It was a rare moment of calm after the night we’d had, but I couldn’t shake the heaviness of what we’d discovered. Jay, sitting across from me, looked just as absorbed in his thoughts, though his expression was more guarded.
Lucille entered the kitchen, her presence as poised as ever. She bowed politely in my direction but frowned sharply when her gaze landed on Jay.
“Good morning, Beta Lucas,” she said crisply. “I wasn’t expecting...” Her eyes flicked to Jay.
I took a sip of my coffee and said evenly, “I asked Jay to join me. Don’t mind him.”
Lucille’s lips thinned, but she nodded stiffly. “Of course,” she replied, though her tone betrayed her reluctance.
