After a while, my father left the hospital lounge, still looking thoughtful from everything Victoria had told him about SHADOW. The door clicked shut behind him, and the room felt quieter.
I waited a few seconds to make sure he was fully gone, then sat down next to my mother on the low sofa near the window. I kept my voice low enough that only she could hear.
"Mom… didn't I already tell you I know who the people in SHADOW are? I can find them whenever I want. Why did you involve Dad in this? He's not built for this kind of shadow war."
Victoria turned her head slowly. Without warning, she reached up and poked a firm finger against my forehead, glaring at me with the same familiar irritation she had used since I was a child.
"Hmph. You brat. I only wanted him to be cautious — nothing more. He needed to understand the scale of what we're dealing with so he doesn't walk blindly into someone else's trap at the office. And while we're on the subject…" Her eyes narrowed.
