Adron's inquiry cut through the silence like a blade, its weight pressing against Orion like an unspoken threat. "Why were you interested in the Zeral family?" he asked, his voice steady, devoid of emotion. Yet the very absence of inflection made it all the more dangerous. Orion knew that the answers he provided in the next few moments would determine his fate—whether he would walk away from this encounter intact or not at all.
He held Adron's gaze, refusing to let the intensity shake his composure. The room was thick with tension, each second stretching like an eternity. Orion's mind raced, crafting a response that balanced truth with misdirection. 'I must tread carefully,' he thought. 'A single misstep, and I won't get another chance.'