Waiting for him to admit what they had already begun to suspect.
And yet, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Because saying it would mean accepting that Cora Santiago, the woman he thought was powerless, had brought down a room full of men with just a whisper.
A woman he had once thought too weak to matter had possibly become the nightmare that now haunted their entire reality.
But he still couldn't believe it. No matter how loud the signs screamed at him.
At that moment James looked down at the floor, swallowed the lump in his throat, and tried to steady his trembling breath.
He told himself once more, more like a prayer than a conviction
"It can't be Cora… it just can't."
At that moment, James clenched his jaw tightly and straightened his shoulders. Enough was enough. He looked around the room slowly, locking eyes with each man sitting there each face that had once smiled at him now twisted with suspicion, frustration, and silent judgment.
