Back in the study, Ivy remained silent after seeing the photograph.
She stared at it with lowered eyes, her grip so tight that the edges of the paper had begun to crease beneath her fingers.
Xander watched her for several moments before the silence became unbearable. Walking around the desk, he stopped beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ivy... what's wrong?"
He knew something had changed the instant she looked at the picture. But when she finally lifted her head, the sight of her bloodshot eyes caught him completely off guard.
He had never seen her like this.
There was confusion, grief, and disbelief swirling in her gaze, making his own chest tighten with unease.
He wanted to ask what had happened. He wanted to know why she had suddenly gone quiet and why she looked so shaken.
His eyes drifted to her trembling shoulders, but before he could say another word, his phone rang.
The shrill sound broke the tense silence.
Both of them snapped out of the moment.
