Chapter 243: Wedding Announcement
Cammy slid into the seat beside Eve just as Cassey moved to a smaller table, joining Dylan and his nanny near the corner where Mrs. Moore had laid out treats and little party favors for the kids.
The shift in seating left Greg directly across from Cammy, the space between them suddenly feeling suffocating despite the crowded restaurant.
Richard settled in beside Greg, while Ric sat protectively close to Cammy’s side, their arms occasionally brushing as they adjusted themselves at the long table.
Eve and Harry exchanged subtle, loaded glances, their eyes darting between Cammy and Greg—the tension at the table so thick it was nearly tangible.
Cammy stared at her untouched ceramic charger, feeling Greg’s silent presence burning into her skin, though neither of them dared meet the other’s eyes.
The silence dragged—heavy, brittle, unbearable—until Richard, in his typical straightforwardness, shattered it.
"Why is everyone so damn quiet?" he asked, chuckling lightly as he reached for his tea.
Eve was the first to recover, her smile a little too quick, a little too bright.
"I guess everyone’s just worn out from lifting boxes and arranging stuff in the apartments," she said, her voice breezy, trying—and failing—to smooth the jagged edges in the room.
Richard laughed, the sound deep and unbothered. "Can’t say I relate. I only lifted my grandson’s crayons today." He chuckled at his own joke, but the laughter that followed from the others was strained, polite at best, as if they were all pretending they didn’t feel the storm gathering at the table.
Then, without warning, Richard turned, his gaze direct.