Shawn froze in an instant, his very essence crumbling under the weight of the question that pierced his soul. The room seemed to close in on him, trapping him in a vortex of fear and uncertainty. His eyes widened with terror, as if they were about to burst from their sockets, and instinctively, he sought solace in the gaze of Claire, desperate for guidance in this tempestuous storm of truth.
"Why... why would you ask such a thing? It's not like—" Shawn stammered, his voice trembling with apprehension, his words barely escaping his quivering lips.
