Amelia descended the stairs and caught sight of Stephan’s intense gaze fixed on Ruby. She couldn’t help but notice how pretty Ruby looked with her new hairstyle, but Stephan’s reaction made her uneasy.

“Stephan, why are you staring at Ruby like that?” Amelia asked, her voice betraying her discomfort.

Stephan quickly looked away, trying to play it cool. “Oh, I was just admiring her new hairstyle. Doesn’t she look nice?” he asked, trying to slough off Amelia’s concern. Amelia shook her head slightly in agreement, but she couldn’t rid herself of the feeling of discomfort nipping at her.

“Yeah, she does. It’s just...never mind,” she muttered, her tone uncertain as...