James paced across the room, his steps quick and uneven. Worry tightened every part of his face. He wanted to help Julian, anyone could see that but he also knew his voice held no weight tonight. So he turned to the only person whose presence could shift the whole room.
"Lewis… can you talk to Jeffrey?" he asked quietly. "Julian's been on his knees all night. He won't last much longer."
Jeffrey might have been the one who handled family matters most of the time, but when Lewis stepped forward, the whole house listened. Even he did.
Lewis didn't answer right away. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Julian still kneeling on the cold stone floor, shoulders sagging, body trembling from exhaustion. When Lewis finally spoke, his voice was sharp enough to cut straight through the air.
"Did you do this on your wedding night?"
I froze.
