Ray took a deep breath, steadying himself, though his eyes remained red with barely restrained emotions. His voice, though calmer, still carried the weight of three years of longing and pain.
"Where have you been?"
Esme's lips curled into a small, helpless smile. She shook her head, a hint of sorrow flickering in her eyes.
"I don't know."
Ray's gaze bore into her, searching for something—an answer, an explanation, anything—but before he could react, a sudden, heavy impact landed on her back.
"Ouch!" Esme yelped, stumbling forward slightly. As she turned, she barely had a second to register what had happened before Jay grabbed her collar, his hands trembling with suppressed fury. His breathing was ragged, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked painful.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" he growled, shaking her, his frustration spilling over. "Where the hell have you been all these years? And what did you just say? You don't know? How the hell would you not know?"
