~~~Zoey~~~

Lincoln froze beside me. I could feel him tensing up. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, clearly hesitating. He looked wary, almost nervous as he faced his grandfather. For the first time since I met him, he seemed unsure of what to say.

The silence in the room was heavy. Everyone was watching.

I couldn’t just stand there and let him struggle. So I stepped in.

“I’m sorry for interfering, Grandfather,” I said politely but confidently, my voice steady even though my heart was still racing. “It’s all my fault. I was the one who wasn’t ready to meet the family yet. I was really nervous about...