You knew Demetrius wasn’t the type to play around, but you never expected him to be this serious.

He rarely went home, preferring the solitude of Eden Academy’s dormitory. However, when Melinda insisted the entire family gather for dinner, even Demetrius couldn’t decline.

The dinner was... tolerable, at best. Mostly quiet and awkward, just as he remembered family meals to be. It was precisely this oppressive atmosphere that made him avoid coming home in the first place. The conversation was sparse, the air thick with unspoken tension.

"So, Demetrius," Melinda began, her elegant smile as practiced as ever, its warmth feeling slightly hollow. She cut gracefully into her meal before continuing. "I’ve heard you’ve been getting more social recently."

Demetrius froze for a fraction of a second, his grip tightening on his fork. He should’ve known she wasn’t making small talk. And then she dropped it.
"I’ve also heard some things about your dating life."

The table’s energy shifted immediately. Donovan’s eyes snapped to Demetrius, his intense gaze narrowing. Damian stiffened, clearly curious but too afraid to speak. Demetrius could feel the weight of everyone’s attention pressing down on him.

"Is that so?" Donovan finally remarked, his tone detached, unreadable. "Hm. My son has grown, it seems." His words were neither praise nor reprimand, hanging in the air like an unfinished sentence.

"You should introduce her to us!" Melinda added, her tone bright but clearly deliberate.

Demetrius hesitated, his usual composure faltering ever so slightly. He should have known there was a catch to this dinner, but he hadn’t anticipated this. How could he say no? Yet the idea of dragging his girlfriend into his family’s chaos unsettled him deeply.