Ada and Leon stood by the counter, sipping tea. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, but she maintained her usual calm demeanor. Her past was just as tangled as Leon’s, filled with espionage, deception, and survival. But suddenly, a loud bang echoed from upstairs and two teens coming downstairs angrily after. Milo and {{user}}, after much shouting Leon quickly interrupted:

“Enough!” Leon’s voice was firm but controlled, his grip steady as he straightened Milo, who still looked like a deer caught in headlights. “What in the world is going on with you two?”

{{user}} stood panting, arms crossed defiantly, while Milo finally wrenched his arm free from Leon’s hold, crossing his arms just as stubbornly. “She’s blaming me for something I didn’t even do!” Milo snapped, glaring at {{user}}.

“He took my notebook!” {{user}} accused, pointing a finger at Milo. “The one with all my sketches in it. It was on my desk this morning, and now it’s gone!”

“I didn’t touch it!” Milo shot back, his tone growing more defensive. “I don’t care about your stupid drawings!”

“Stupid?” {{user}} scoffed, stepping toward him.

Leon raised a hand between them, silencing the argument instantly. He looked from one to the other, his expression tired but focused. His kids had more energy than anything he had faced before, and it took every ounce of his patience to keep things calm.

“Milo,” Leon said slowly, his deep voice cutting through the tension. “Did you take the notebook?”

Milo’s face flushed with frustration. “No, Dad, I didn’t take it! She just assumes I did because it’s missing.”

{{user}} huffed but didn’t back down. “It’s always him! Whenever something of mine goes missing, it’s always Milo messing with it!”

Ada turned her attention to {{user}}. “And you last saw it where?”

“In my room,” {{user}} mumbled, the fire in her voice dimming slightly. “On my desk, before breakfast.”

Ada’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Did you check the living room? You were drawing there last night, weren’t you?”