“You missed dinner. Again?”

Mr Ricardo's voice thundered through the Mansion hallway when James stepped through the front door. The air was thick with tension, the kind that brewed slowly and then struck like lightning.

James tugged off his suit, losing his tie without saying a word. The exhaustion in his eyes wasn't just from work. It was deeper, mental, emotional, or even moral.

“Where is Chloe?” Ricardo barked.

“Inside… maybe” James muttered.

“And you're just arriving. ...