The room was heavy with silence. Not just quiet, but the kind of silence that held weight, tension, and years of unspoken history. Four men sat across from each other at a long table. Two on each side. Raymond and Alex were on one end. George Agnew and Philip on the other.
The air was stiff. Nobody smiled.
Finally, George broke the silence
"You know," he said calmly, "the last time we sat like this, face to face, was many years ago. I never thought we'd sit together again… and certainly not like this."
Raymond didn't respond nor blink. He just sat still, the corner of his eye twitching slightly. But George wasn't done.
"So, what is it, Raymond?" he asked, feigning curiosity. "Why have you dragged us into this unpleasant little meeting? And you even brought your… mentee."
He turned his gaze toward Alex, who sat close to Raymond with his head down. "How sweet."
"Unpleasant indeed," Raymond said flatly. "But I wasn't expecting you to bring a dishonorable man with you."
