The dining hall was… massive.
I had seen war rooms smaller than this. The table stretched so far it felt like it could seat an entire army battalion, maybe that was the plan. Every one of North's thirty relatives had already taken their seats, chatting, smiling, and pretending not to stare at me.
Anne gestured politely toward the head of the table. "Billion, please sit here."
I froze. The head seat? The only one with an oversized chair that looked like a throne?
Internally, I wanted to protest: Why not let me sit anywhere else? Maybe the kitchen? Or the roof?
But everyone was watching. So, with a forced smile, I nodded and took the seat.
The moment I sat down, all conversation paused for a heartbeat, like they were evaluating if I sat correctly or not. Then the chatter resumed. I exhaled quietly, pretending everything was normal.
That's when she walked in.
