That evening, Lara arrived at the sprawling Zuvel mansion expecting the usual quiet elegance of the estate.

Instead, she found Shay curled up in a tiny plush armchair near the grand windows, her little brows knitted together in frustration. The child sat there nibbling anxiously on her fingers, her cheeks puffed in a stubborn sulk that looked both adorable and heartbreaking.

Lara’s expression softened instantly.

"Sweetie, what’s wrong?" she asked gently.

Without waiting for an answer, she scooped Shay into her arms and carried her from the miniature chair to the large velvet sofa. Shay melted against her side, though the pout on her lips remained firmly in place.

"Mommy," Shay mumbled, tilting her head up with accusing eyes, "why didn’t you come with me to look for a new school today?"

Lara blinked in surprise. "Didn’t you go with Daddy Asher and your mommy?"

"We did," Shay huffed. "But I didn’t like any of the schools they brought me to."

Lara brushed a hand through Shay’s silky hair. "Why not?"

"Because they didn’t even ask me what I wanted," Shay complained bitterly. "They just kept choosing schools because they liked them. They kept saying they were ’good enough.’"

A small crease formed between Lara’s brows.

"Didn’t you tell them you didn’t like the schools?"

"I did." Shay’s voice turned pitiful, her eyes glistening with frustration. "But they said I’m too young to understand, so they’ll decide for me."

Lara sighed quietly. Adults always believed children saw less simply because they were small.

"Which school did they choose?"

"Sunshine Academy."

The name meant little to Lara, so she quickly searched for it on her phone. The school appeared prestigious—one of the most elite academies in the province, known for wealthy families and powerful connections.

On paper, it looked perfect.

"And why don’t you like it?" Lara asked carefully.

Shay’s answer came without hesitation.

"The teachers are pretentious," she muttered. "And the students are arrogant. Some of them are bullies."

Lara’s fingers stilled against Shay’s hair.

For a brief moment, silence settled between them.

She lowered her gaze toward the little girl curled against her side. Shay was still so young, with soft cheeks and tiny hands that barely fit around Lara’s wrist.

Could a child that small truly judge people so accurately?

Or perhaps... children simply noticed truths adults preferred to ignore.

"Then why don’t you tell Daddy Ares how you feel?" Lara suggested softly after a pause. "Maybe he’ll listen."

At once, Shay’s gloomy expression lit up like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

"You’re right!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I’ll tell Daddy!"

Then her bright eyes widened with hope as she grabbed Lara’s sleeve. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Mommy, can you come with me tomorrow to look for schools?" she asked in a small voice. "Please?"

The pleading look on Shay’s face pierced straight through Lara’s heart.

How could she possibly refuse?

Lara smiled helplessly and pinched Shay’s nose lightly.

"Okay," she agreed. "But only if Daddy Ares says yes."

Shay beamed triumphantly, instantly wrapping her little arms around Lara’s waist.

Lara chuckled softly before another thought crossed her mind.

"Oh, right," she said curiously. "Did you at least have fun spending time with Daddy Asher and Mommy Moira today?"

The moment those names were mentioned, Shay’s expression soured again.

"Don’t mention it," she grumbled dramatically as she climbed off the sofa and folded her tiny arms across her chest like an offended queen.

Lara blinked. "Why?"

"They spent the whole day arguing and nagging each other," Shay complained. "It was so annoying."

"Huh?" Lara stared at her in disbelief.

A strange discomfort twisted inside her chest.

How could they fight in front of a child like that?

Couldn’t they at least pretend everything was fine?

...

At the dinner table, the atmosphere was deceptively calm.

Crystal chandeliers bathed the luxurious dining hall in warm golden light, reflecting against polished silverware and expensive porcelain plates. Yet beneath the elegant setting lingered an uncomfortable tension that none of the adults seemed willing to acknowledge.

Moira had dressed carefully for the evening.

She wore a sleeveless white cotton dress that clung delicately to her curves, exposing her smooth shoulders and the generous neckline of her chest. Her makeup was soft and alluring, her lips painted a subtle rose as if she had spent hours perfecting the image of effortless beauty.

This time, she deliberately chose the seat directly opposite Ares.

No obstructions. No distractions. A perfect view.

Unfortunately for her, Ares barely spared her a glance.

Shay sat beside Lara, absentmindedly poking at the vegetables on her plate, while Lara sat across from Asher. The arrangement left Asher and Moira seated side by side at the opposite end of the dining table.

The clinking of utensils echoed faintly in the silence.

Then Shay suddenly spoke.

"Daddy," she mumbled while stabbing a carrot with her fork, "I don’t like Sunshine Academy."

The statement instantly drew everyone’s attention.

Asher paused mid-bite and glanced first at Ares before shifting his gaze toward Moira.

"And why is that?" he asked cautiously.

Moira immediately smiled, her expression sweet and practiced.

"Nonsense," she said lightly, though the disapproval in her eyes was obvious as she looked at Shay. "That school is excellent. The facilities are top-tier, and the teachers are highly proficient."

Asher nodded in agreement.

"It’s one of the best schools in the province," he added calmly.

But Ares leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the exchange.

"Shay, baby," he said gently, his voice noticeably softer when speaking to his daughter, "can you tell Daddy why you don’t like the school?"

Shay lifted her small face without hesitation.

"The teachers are pretentious," she said bluntly repeating her earlier words. "And the students are arrogant."

Clang.

The fork slipped from Asher’s fingers and hit the plate with a sharp metallic noise.

For a moment, silence filled the dining room.

Then Moira scoffed incredulously.

"What the heck?" she snapped before she could stop herself. "You’re only five years old. What do you even know about words like pretentious and arrogant? Do you even understand what they mean?"

Her tone was sharp enough to make Shay shrink slightly in her seat.

Lara’s brows furrowed instantly.

And then—

Bang!

Ares slammed his palm heavily against the dining table.

The dishes rattled violently.

Moira froze in shock, her face turning pale almost immediately.

Even Asher stiffened.

The temperature in the room seemed to plummet.

Ares slowly lifted his eyes toward Moira, and the fury in them was enough to make anyone’s spine go cold.

"Don’t talk to my daughter like that," he said coldly, every word dripping with restrained anger.

Moira’s lips trembled.

"A-Ares, I didn’t mean—"

"What do you even know about her?" he interrupted sharply. "You’ve been absent from her life for five years."

The accusation struck like a whip.

Moira’s face lost all color.

Even Asher remained completely silent.

He knew his brother well enough to recognize the warning signs.

Ares was furious.

And when Ares was truly angry, the smartest thing anyone could do... was disappear and stay out of his way.