Mark chuckled in response, his voice warm and relaxed. “Well, it was a good bottle. Besides, you seemed to enjoy it just as much.”

David felt a mix of emotions swirling within him—disbelief, betrayal, confusion. How could this have been happening right under his nose? The twins’ warnings echoed in his mind, and he realized they had been braver than he ever gave them credit for. It was a bitter pill to swallow, knowing he’d dismissed their concerns as mere fabrication.

Clara and Mark continued their conversation, their words punctuated by laughter. They spoke of mundane things—movies they wanted to watch, and places they’d like to visit. It was the kind of intimate chatter that made David uneasy, indicating a closeness that should not have existed if everything were as innocent as he had convinced himself to believe.