Stacy stood frozen midway on the staircase, her hand gripping the railing with an intensity that matched the storm raging within her.
She hadn't even descended fully when her eyes caught sight of Jin, seated casually on the couch beside her mother.
His presence in her home felt like an intrusion, a violation of the sanctuary she had worked so hard to maintain.
Her mother, sitting across from Jin, wore a frown so deep it seemed etched into her features permanently. There was no pretense of civility; her disdain for Jin was palpable, a silent declaration of her allegiance to her daughter.
Stacy's heart clenched at the sight, a mixture of gratitude for her mother's solidarity and frustration at the situation unfolding before her.