The question landed like a bomb in the middle of the room, sudden and heavy enough to suck the air out of everyone's lungs.
Nathan's interest sharpened immediately, not out of nosiness but because Cassie's past was one of the few areas he barely knew anything about, especially when it came to her ex-husband.
Nathan had heard fragments, half-finished stories, and carefully edited truths, but nothing solid enough to form a real picture.
Even Sebastian, who had expected at least a flicker of irritation or tension from Franklin, found himself watching closely, bracing for a reaction that never came.
Franklin didn't stiffen or bristle. He didn't narrow his eyes or tense his jaw. Instead, he answered with a calm certainty that made it clear this wasn't something he'd just decided o
