A Father's Fury, A Daughter's Fire

VANESSA

The silence that filled our dining room was suffocating, like all the oxygen had been sucked out in one violent pull. My father's eyes bored into mine, cold and calculating, as if trying to determine just how far I would push this rebellion.

"I'd like to speak with my children alone," he said to the house staff, his voice deceptively calm.

The servants scurried out, closing the heavy double doors behind them. The sound echoed through the room like a prison gate slamming shut.

"So," Father folded his hands on the table. "You're prepared to face consequences, Vanessa?"

I lifted my chin. "Yes."

"And you, Leo? Are you going to hide behind your sister's skirts now?"

Leo's jaw tightened. "I've never hidden from anything in my life, Father. You know that."

"Do I?" Father's laugh was brittle. "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you've been hiding quite a lot. Including the real reason for these trips to the roguelands."