Jayden's POV
Ebony went rigid.
Her eyes went wide for a heartbeat, then she slowly pivoted toward us wearing a guilty grin, gripping her shoes like they might shield her from what was coming.
Palmer and I weren't fooled.
I strode past her, jaw locked tight. "Inside. Now, Ebony."
She swallowed hard, the fake smile melting away, and trailed behind us without a word.
The tension was suffocating as we stepped through the front door. Palmer claimed one sofa while I took the other, both of us staring her down as she hovered uncertainly by the coffee table.
"Sit down," Palmer commanded.
Ebony dropped into the armchair, digging her bare toes into the carpet like a guilty child bracing for punishment.
Her chin dipped toward her chest.
"Do you understand what you've put us through?" I began, fighting to control my tone.
She winced.
"You vanished without a single word in a realm you know nothing about," Palmer continued. "We feared the worst had happened to you."
