Arkin narrowed the distance separating him from Adela, and his stare held a hostile edge as he loomed over her. His behavior was utterly astonishing, as if one of life's fundamental norms was being upended right before her eyes.
Her brother's entire frame quivered with the rush of emotions, his voice quivered too, "You... Do you even hear the words that are coming out of your mouth?... Me..." He panted, "A pawn?... If it weren't for you uttering these accusations... Had it been anybody else..."
Adela refused to back down. "What alternative course of action would you have taken? Would you have resorted to violence? Is this the person you have become?" She challenged, her voice steady despite the tension.
"Arkin..." Egon's deep and threatening voice sliced through the charged atmosphere, causing both Adela and Arkin to pause. "What is happening here?"
"It's none of your damn business," Arkin muttered through clenched teeth.
