Chapter 283

Cecilia's pov I set down my fork. Every single person at the table turned to look at me in perfect unison. Sebastian just dropped the "are we official now?" bomb, and his mom probably thought he'd lost his damn mind. The air went still. Even the clink of cutlery stopped, like the house itself was holding its breath. Or maybe... was this his twisted idea of scaring me off? "I think..." I began, summoning every ounce of composure I had, doing my best to sound like a rational adult, "I just think relationships take time. You don't really know someone until you've gone through the good days, the bad ones, and everything in between. So... yeah. No need to rush." My voice was steady, but my heart hammered against my ribs. My palms were damp. I folded them in my lap to hide the tremble in my fingers. The awkwardness was thick enough to spread on toast. Sebastian's siblings risked quick glances at his face like they were watching a slow-motion car crash. Alpha Yardley looked stunned. Luna Regi