Esme, hearing his words, returned his smile, her eyes glinting with a mix of humor and bitterness. "Well, after all, they made me a fool for a whole decade," she replied softly, the smile not quite reaching her eyes as she thought about the years she had been deceived.
Before she could dwell on it further, Madam Vallahe's voice cut through the room, filled with confusion. "Mr. Aron?" she called out, noticing the lack of response from Kai.
It was as if a switch had been flipped. Both Kai and Esme's expressions softened, their eyes now filled with feigned sympathy. "Don't worry, Madam Vallahe. We understand," Esme said, placing a hand delicately over her heart, her voice dripping with false reassurance.
