Valerie noticed it almost immediately.
The way Leo went still.
The way his jaw tightened just slightly as his eyes scanned the screen of his phone. It wasn't obvious to anyone who didn't know him, but Valerie did. There was a shift there. Subtle, controlled… but present.
Something was wrong.
She set her spoon down slowly, the faint clink against the plate sounding louder than it should in the quiet room. Her gaze lingered on him for a second before she finally spoke.
"Why, Leo?"
Leo didn't look up right away. His thumb moved once across the screen, as if rereading the message, before he finally locked it and placed the phone down on the table.
"Oh, nothing," he replied shortly. "It's Sebastian."
Valerie frowned slightly. That didn't answer anything.
"What is it?" she pressed, her voice softer but filled with curiosity. "Did something happen to Sebastian?"
Leo's hand stilled on the table.
This time, he looked up.
