Scarlet's hand relaxed, and her dimple peeked through her right cheek.
Lara slowly set her glass down.
And for the first time, she spoke into the tension — not softly, not defensively but with quiet authority.
"I am not an object to be monitored, Doctor Fenn," she said evenly.
Her gaze moved from Yannis.
To Scarlet, then finally to Ares.
"And I certainly don't require supervision."
A heavy silence filled the air, balanced on a knife's edge.
Because now the battle had shifted.
It wasn't about men asserting proximity.
Or women claiming history.
It was about Lara deciding who, if anyone, had the right to stand beside her.
Shay suddenly spoke.
"Mommy, I'd like you to change seats with me."
Her small voice cut cleanly through the tension. Not loud. Not dramatic. Just certain.
She slid off her chair and walked around the table, her little shoes tapping softly against polished marble. Then she reached up and tugged at the hem of Lara's blouse.
