Chapter 124: Downcast

As Damon sat in the dining room, waiting for Jessica and Emily to join him, his dark brown eyes followed the slow sway of the curtains as they danced with the morning breeze, even though his thoughts were far from there.

His cup of coffee, still untouched, sat steaming in front of him, the rich aroma mingling with the scent of freshly baked bread and sizzling bacon.

He glanced up when he heard descending footsteps. Jessica appeared, leading Emily by the hand. They made a contrasting pair—Emily's bright eyes and eager smile were at odds with Jessica's pale face and heavy-lidded eyes. Her usual warmth was replaced by a cold, distant demeanor, and her shoulders hunched as if bearing an invisible weight. Damon noted this, not entirely surprised since he had heard her last night.

She looked so different from the Jessica who had laughed so hard during breakfast the previous morning that he had been scared she was losing her mind.