Chapter 230 A Father’s Secret

Ethan’s POV The Donalds’ dining room had become a familiar place to me. Tonight should have felt no different. The long mahogany table gleamed under the chandelier, the smell of roasted lamb filling the air. Lucas wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. Nancy sighed. “Napkin, Lucas. Use the napkin, not your shirt.” Katelyn leaned close to her mother to whisper something that made them both smile. But I couldn’t shake the way Jimson’s eyes kept returning to me across the table. There was a heaviness in his gaze that made my stomach tighten. Dinner carried on as usual, wine poured, dishes passed, Lucas chattering about school. Yet every time I looked up, I found Jimson watching me, his expression unreadable. When the plates were cleared and Nancy took Lucas to the kitchen to sneak him dessert, Jimson touched my shoulder. “Ethan, walk with me a moment. Need your help with something.” His voice was casual, but I caught the faint edge beneath it. He led me into his study, a room lined