Noel sat frozen for a heartbeat, the fork halfway to his mouth, eggs still clinging to the silver tines. The dining room suddenly felt too small, like it was too crowded, and the clinking of silverware was too loud in the silence that followed Evelina's words.
"Did you reject me because of your relationship with Cedric?"
The question hung in the air like smoke from the candles that still burned low in their silver holders, even though morning light now poured through the tall windows. The room smelled of coffee, toasted bread, bacon, and the faint trace of last night's drama that no amount of fresh air could quite erase.
Noel slowly lowered the fork. He didn't look at Evelina first. His eyes went straight to Cedric.
Cedric sat opposite him. His brown eyes had gone wide... pupils blown with genuine shock. His gloved hand tightened around the handle of his teacup until the porcelain creaked faintly.
Noel turned to Evelina.
