George's breath caught in his throat.
His father stood ten feet away, body rigid as steel, eyes locked on Delvin with an intensity George had never seen before. Not anger exactly. Something colder. Something that made the air in the room feel thin.
"Father?" George's voice came out smaller than he intended. "What's... what's going on?"
George Senior didn't move. Didn't blink. His jaw was set so tight George could see the muscle jumping beneath the skin. The overhead lights cast sharp shadows across his face, making him look like a stranger.
"Stay out of this, son."
The words hit like a slap. George's hands went cold. His father had never used that tone with him before—flat, distant, like he was talking to someone he didn't trust.
