CHAPTER 112: Sudden Encounter

　　As Isabelle and Elizabeth approached the sitting room, they could already hear raised voices and a tense hum of conversation drifting into the hallway. Elizabeth glanced at her mother, sensing the shift in atmosphere and unsure of what awaited them. Still, she held her head high and her heart pounded with anticipation.

　　As they entered the room, Elizabeth's eyes lit up, hoping for a familiar, joyful greeting from Uncle Ben. She had expected a warm birthday wish and perhaps a gentle hug but what she saw froze her steps.

　　Uncle Ben stood at the center of the room but his face etched with worry and confusion not celebration. Beside him stood two figures Elizabeth did not recognize at first glance: a man and a woman, both of them well dressed yet visibly tense. Ben's usual easy going demeanor had vanished, replaced by an uncomfortable stiffness as if he was caught in an unexpected and unwelcome situation.