Roman stepped into the room like a storm, just in time before another word left his mother’s mouth.

“Enough, Mother,” he yelled.

The air stilled, and her words caught in her throat.

Tessa froze where she sat, her wide eyes glancing between them like she’d just been caught in a battlefield.

His mother’s hand lingered on hers, soft and deliberate, as if she’d been holding on to something precious. Her lips pressed into a thin line, but her eyes never wavered.

“That’s enough,” Roman repeated, sharper this time. “Don’t fill her head with things she doesn’t need to hear.”

Tessa’s brows furrowed, confusion etched across her face. “But—”

“You should...