silent tension

"What's wrong with you? Is it not you I'm talking to, Junious?"

Realizing that June was back, Sophia quickly stood and went to the next bed where Elena was still sleeping. Gently, she tapped her shoulder.

"Elena, wake up. We need to go. The truck driver will be waiting for the delivery," Sophia urged.

Elena stretched and rubbed her eyes, groaning softly. "What's all that noise?"

Sophia listened as the voices grew louder.

"You didn't come home last night, and you left everyone worried! Jude told us you went to Jonathan's house, but when we called his parents, they said you were never there."

Sophia turned to Elena, who was now fully awake. "It sounds like they're talking to June," Sophia whispered.

"Oh no, is he back?" Elena asked, standing and heading for the door.

"Yes, and it doesn't sound good," Sophia replied, following her.

As they stepped into the living room, they were greeted by the tense scene.

"Good morning," they said politely, but their voices were drowned out by Jude's father, whose stern expression was locked on June.

"Where were you all night?" he demanded.

June stood in silence, his expression unreadable.

"You left, and all your friends slept here! Jonathan's parents said you weren't with them, so where did you go?"

"I went with Graham," June finally said, his voice tight with tension.

The room fell silent. Jude's mother froze, and the grandmother, seated on the couch, slowly turned her head toward him.

"Graham?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Where did you see him? And where did he take you?" Jude's mother asked, her eyes narrowing with curiosity.

June's voice was firm as he replied, "He didn't take me. I followed him."

At that moment, Jude descended the staircase. "Good morning, Grandma. Mom, Dad—" he greeted before pausing, his gaze shifting to June.

"Yo, dude. Sup?" Jude asked with a grin, attempting to lighten the mood.

"What did Graham tell you?" their mother interrupted, her tone sharp.

June's face darkened. "What happened to my mom?" he asked, his voice low and strained.

The room fell into a tense silence. Tom and Zara entered, their faces filled with concern, but they remained quiet. Sophia and Elena stood by the doorway, their eyes darting between June and Jude's parents.

June turned toward his grandmother, his voice trembling. "Y'all chased my mom away from this family because she refused to marry the wealthy man you wanted her to marry. Isn't that right?"

"Don't speak to your grandmother like that," Jude's mother scolded, grabbing June's arm to pull him back.

But June yanked his arm away and stepped closer to his grandmother.

"She was being abused! That man treated her like a slave, even when she was pregnant with me! And when she tried to escape, she called Graham for help. He went to get her—just to take her away—but the man's men attacked them. Graham had to climb through the back window to get her. As he was bringing her out, that man pointed a gun at him. She pushed Graham out of the way, and the bullet hit her in the back!"

June's voice cracked as tears streamed down his face.

"She died… because of your greed! And you lied to me. You said Graham destroyed her marriage. You said she was happy with that monster. But now I know the truth."

June's words hung heavily in the room. Jude stood frozen, his gaze shifting between his parents. He silently prayed they'd deny the accusations, but their downcast eyes told him everything he needed to know.

June took a deep, shaky breath, wiping his tears. "You blamed Graham for everything, and I believed you. I hated him, thinking he was the enemy. But now I see—he's the only one who truly cared about her."

The weight of his words pressed on everyone in the room. Jude's father cleared his throat, his face flushed with embarrassment. "This is a family matter. Everyone else, leave. We'll handle this ourselves."

Sophia, Elena, and the others exchanged uneasy glances before quietly stepping out.

As they walked away from the house, Sophia sighed deeply. "That… that must have been so hard for June. Not knowing who to trust," she said softly.

Elena nodded, her face pensive. "It makes sense now, though. Graham was trying to protect him all along."

Let's get to work fast. We're already late for today's delivery—the driver must have been waiting a long time," Elena urged, quickening her pace.

Tom and Zara took a turn toward their respective homes, leaving Sophia and Elena to hurry toward the delivery truck.

Meanwhile, it's 7:00am as Ethan woke up to the sound of his morning alarm. Groaning, he reached out to silence it and nearly slipped back into the sweet dream that was pulling him in.

But the sharp ringing of his phone jolted him fully awake.

He sluggishly grabbed the phone, bringing it to his ear. "Hello?" he mumbled.

For a moment, there was silence on the other end. He sat up, checking the caller ID.

"Mr. Caldwell," he muttered under his breath.

"Ethan," came the cold, familiar voice.

Ethan's voice instantly became more alert. "Sir, is everything alright?"

"No, everything isn't alright. I need you to come around today. There's something I need you to do," Mr. Caldwell said, his tone low and serious.

"Alright, sir. I'll be there," Ethan replied before the call abruptly ended.

He stared at his phone for a moment, thoughts racing. What could be so urgent?

Suddenly, another thought crept into his mind—his mother. He quickly dialed her number, but the call didn't go through. Frowning, he muttered to himself, "Why would her number be unreachable?"

He decided to try another number and dialed Mr. Maxwell.

As the call connected, Ethan greeted him with a grin. "Hello, Dad."

"Is there an emergency?" Mr. Maxwell's tone was cold and serious.

"No, sir. I just wanted to check on my mom. How is she doing?" Ethan asked, trying to keep his tone cheerful.

"Well, then, only call me if it's an emergency. Don't worry about anything except your mission right now," Mr. Maxwell said curtly, ending the call before Ethan could respond.

Ethan stared at his phone in disbelief. Why is he being so cruel? What does he mean I can't check on my mom just because I'm on this mission? he thought, frustration building.

Determined, he dialed another number—Sam, the personal assistant assigned to him by Mr. Maxwell.

"Hello, Sam," Ethan greeted, his voice calm.

"Yes, young master?" Sam replied politely.

"I need your help," Ethan began.

"What's that, young master? Is it an emergency?" Sam asked curiously.

"No, it's not an emergency. I just need you to check on my mom. She hasn't been answering my calls," Ethan explained, his voice soft.

Sam hesitated for a moment. "Oh, okay. If that's the case, no problem. Your mom is fine," he replied casually.

Ethan's suspicion grew. "When was the last time you saw her, Sam?"

There was another pause before Sam replied, "Young master, Mr. Maxwell instructed me to make sure you stay focused on your mission. Don't worry; everything is fine. If something had happened to your mom, I'd have told you."

Ethan's frustration spilled over. "Is there anything wrong with me just wanting to hear from her?" he asked, his voice laced with sadness.

"No, young master. But I have to go now. Take care," Sam said respectfully before ending the call.

Ethan stood there, overwhelmed by worry. What are they hiding from me? he wondered, running his hand through his hair.