Chapter 196

The air felt like it froze up a little. Damien's eyes darkened, and his arm tightened ever so slightly around Amelia without him even realizing. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react. Amelia blinked in confusion. Wasn’t today supposed to be Damien's birthday? Why was everyone handing her presents? And honestly, that wasn’t really Brandon’s style either—it felt kinda off. Still, her main concern was how Damien was feeling. He had to be a little jealous, right? Liam, being as clueless as ever, didn’t catch on at all. He fumbled around in his bear costume, finally pulling out a little gift box. "Ta-da! I’ve got something too!" And yep, he handed it right over to Amelia. Damien and Amelia exchanged a quick look—both of them just as baffled. Brandon, meanwhile, just smiled softly. There was kindness in his eyes, but also a barely-there shadow of sadness hidden deep. Then Evelyn and the others followed suit, handing their gifts to Amelia as well. “Sure, it’s Damien’s birthday, but if we