Chapter 184: Arrogance 1
Mara watched Steve, something inside her tightening. The conversation was brief but left a trace of unease behind. Steve’s shoulders stiffened, his voice low and strained.
"It’s not looking good. You need to book an appointment immediately," came a voice from the other end. Mara could only catch fragments.
"I’ll come by," Steve replied, his tone clipped, something simmering beneath it.
When he hung up, Mara didn’t ask right away. She waited for him to slip the phone back into his pocket, watching the way his fingers lingered there like it might ring again.
"Is everything okay?" she finally asked, her voice careful, a thread of quiet concern woven through. Steve glanced at her then, and for a heartbeat too long, he didn’t answer. The hallway seemed to hold its breath.
"Yes, sister, just some issues at the firm," Steve said, his voice lighter than it should have been. He forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "See, you have a lot of things to do. No need to worry about us." Mara whispers as his hand found her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze or at least, that’s what he intended. But his fingers trembled faintly against her, a tremor he couldn’t quite suppress.
Mara frowned. "Steve—"
"Just go to the law firm," she interrupted, too quickly. "Trust me. We’ll be fine." Steve pulled her into a hug. His arms were tight, almost desperate, as if he was holding on just a second longer than he should. And then he was gone, stepping back, turning away before she could see the tension in his jaw. But she had already seen it.
She had seen the way his hands shook as he shoved them into his pockets. The way his shoulders stiffened when he thought she wasn’t looking.