Daniel wiped his sweaty palms on his pants, nerves getting the better of him. After spending the entire day thinking it over, he had finally decided to come to the Jones family's house. The morning wasn't supposed to be this cold, yet his hands felt frozen from the intense stare directed at him.
Unable to help himself, he glanced around discreetly. There was no sign of Anastasia or Bella—only Marleen sat on the sofa across from him, her gaze unreadable.
"If you came here hoping to see Anna, no, she's not home," Marleen broke the silence, her voice steady.
"Ah…" Daniel took a breath. "Actually, I came to explain everything and… and…" He hesitated, stuttering slightly. "Ap–apologise."
"Is apologising that hard for you, that you're stuttering like that?" Marleen's face remained calm, but Daniel could see the anger simmering behind her eyes, ready to boil over.
"No…" Daniel shook his head lightly. "No, um, auntie."
