Back at the hotel room after dinner, the air was thick with tension. I could feel the weight of the evening pressing down on me, the unanswered questions hanging between Emma and me like a dense fog. She paced the room, her movements betraying her unease.

"Liam," she began, turning to face me, "what was all that about tonight? Your parents were hinting at something. You've been dodging it, and I need to know what's going on."

I sat on the edge of the bed, running a hand over my ...