Kendrick's gaze narrows as he watches each one exchange pleasant smiles with his wife. His jaw tightens as he sees one of them deliberately make physical contact with Elodie while receiving the papers from her.

Kendrick's inside churn, his eyes twitching. The spark of annoyance igniting inside him quickly turns to jealousy when he sees Elodie's affectionate eyes when Luke thanks her.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room turns dense, the tension in the air threatening to stuff out the breath of each person. With an assertive frown, he rests his elbow on the table, his fingers intertwining as he surveys the room, each member a target.

Every movement ceases,...