Charlotte, just like her brother Benjamin, sensed an ominous feeling when she saw Thomas and Alice walk in together, but with everyone present, she couldn't say anything.
Isla's overly enthusiastic attitude made Alice a little uncomfortable, but she managed to keep up appearances, not letting anyone see her unease.
Under Isla's warm invitation, Alice sat on the sofa. Isla had intentionally seated her next to Benjamin, but Alice skillfully avoided it and sat next to Charlotte instead.
To steer clear of Isla's pointed conversations, Alice tried not to look at Isla sitting beside her and started chatting with Charlotte, finding topics to talk about.
At first, Charlotte didn't notice anything, but as they chatted, she began to realize that Alice was deliberately avoiding her mother Isla.
Charlotte could guess why Alice was behaving this way, but to avoid awkwardness, she didn't mention it.
