But before she could find the words or the strength—to speak up, her father's calm, deliberate voice broke through the tension.
"Well," her father said, his eyes still on Oliver, "it is very nice of you to actually come with a gift." His tone wasn't warm, but it wasn't cruel either. More like carefully measured. "Like you may have heard already… I don't usually accept gifts."
He paused, and Cora's breath hitched, her fingers curling into her palms.
"…Because, truth be told," he continued, "most times, they're irrelevant. They rarely meet my interests or standards."
