Seraphina's Point Of View
"…I have very important news for us."
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt it. That shift. Like someone had pulled an invisible string taut across the room. Chairs stopped creaking mid-motion. Keyboards went silent. Even the air seemed to tighten around us, pressing against my skin.
Every single one of them was looking at me now. And not the casual 'oh, she's talking' kind of looking. No. This was the ;brace yourself' kind. The kind that made my stomach twist into knots.
Oh boy…
Yeah… they already know this isn't good.
And the worst part? They were right. I could see it in their eyes… the wariness, the resignation already settling into their shoulders. I cleared my throat lightly, forcing my shoulders to relax even though my fingers tightened around the file until the edges bit into my palm.
"Before I say anything," I started, glancing around the room and meeting as many eyes as I could, "I want to say something first."
