The room didn't move.
Not a sound.
Not a breath.
Even Victor had the sense to stay quiet for once, which alone was enough to make the moment feel unreal.
Chanel stood near the exit, perfectly composed, one hand lightly resting by her side. She hadn't left yet.
Cassandra's question had stopped her.
Not physically.
But something in the air had changed.
The calm, controlled elegance Chanel carried had shifted just slightly. Not fear. Not panic.
Awareness.
Camille noticed it immediately.
Dante did too.
So did Elena.
Adrian's fingers paused over his phone, like even he had decided whatever was coming next mattered more than work.
Cassandra didn't move from her seat.
She didn't raise her voice.
She didn't need to.
"What aren't you telling us?"
The question hung there.
Heavy.
Clean.
Precise.
Chanel turned slowly.
Her expression remained composed, but now there was something sharper underneath it.
Not arrogance.
Not confidence.
Care.
Care that had teeth.
