Damien asked.

Scarlett looked up. Under the bright light, her face was quiet and bare, unreadable. She thought for a moment, then said calmly, "He came. I didn't let him in."

Damien settled beside her on the couch, gently lifted the book from her hands, flipped through a few pages, and said quietly, "He came to see the kids. You could've let him stay a while. Moly adores him."

Scarlett studied her husband's expression, weighing it. Then, evenly: "Not ...