Laura's question still hung heavy in the air when Julian smoothly guided everyone toward the dining room. The breakfast Laura and Theo had brought was now elegantly arranged on the large dining table, reorganized with Julian's professional touch.
Reheated toast, thick corn chowder steaming in bowls, fresh fruit arranged in crystal dishes, and coffee whose aroma filled the entire room. It should have been an inviting spread, but those gathered around it weren't a harmonious family—rather, a group of people each carrying their own agendas and pride.
Leon sat at the head of the table, a position that instinctively made him appear to be chairing a cabinet meeting. His back was straight, his posture radiating authority even in this casual setting. The sixty-two-year-old man seemed unable to s
