Brandon's POV
I froze.
Caught like a deer in headlights. The phone slipped from my grip, the weight of its significance slipping away as panic gripped me. Instinct kicked in before vulnerability could worm its way into my thoughts. I ended the call abruptly and shoved the device behind my back, like a guilty child sneaking sweets from the kitchen cabinet.
"Mum." The word burst forth, sharper than I intended, slicing through the thick tension in the air.
"I—uh—I didn't know you were back." My throat constricted as I swallowed hard. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at work?" The moment the question left my lips, a sense of dread washed over me; I recognized the mistake as it took form.
Her silence answered me, thick and heavy. Instead of replying, she tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing—not in anger or surprise, but in that unnerving, calculated manner she had when plotting her next move, always three steps ahead of everyone else.
