Racheal blinked in surprise. She had fully expected Damian to take Clara's side without even considering her concerns. Instead, he had calmly acknowledged both perspectives, neither dismissing Clara's struggle nor rejecting her warning.
She slowly sat upright on the bed, her eyes never leaving her husband as though she were looking at a stranger wearing his face. Ever since Lith's death and the incident with Hagrid, everyone in the household had instinctively given Damian space. They had spoken to him when necessary, but none of them had truly approached him the way they used to. The quietness surrounding him had become something they all respected.
Truthfully, she had prepared herself for anger. After everything that had happened, she expected resentment or at least frustration when he finally addressed her directly. Yet there had been none. His voice remained steady, his expression composed and, strangely enough, gentler than she remembered.
