A Silent Reckoning

The room fell into a stunned silence. Naomi's mother's face froze in shock. Had Naomi really just said that? And the way Zylan accepted her decision without even thinking twice left everyone utterly speechless.

Her father, who had initially been caught off guard by Naomi's words, seemed to recover first. He straightened in his seat, his voice steady despite the lingering surprise. "Of course. Thank you very much for your consideration," he said, his lips stretching into a polite smile. But it was clear from the tightness around his eyes that he was still processing the audacity of Naomi's earlier words.

Naomi simply nodded, her expression calm, betraying no sign of the chaos swirling inside her. "Our pleasure," she responded, her tone even and collected.

She could feel the weight of the silence pressing in on her, suffocating the room. The clinking of silverware against fine china broke the tension, but it didn't ease the discomfort hanging heavily in the air.