Viya's POV
On the morning of Alpha Joseph's birthday celebration, I woke early and went straight to Luna Gloria's room to administer her treatment.
The banquet was scheduled for evening, so breakfast was a relatively quiet affair—just the Hawthorne family and me, the sole guest at the table.
Luna Gloria must have sensed my unease because she insisted I sit beside her, making it easier for her to serve me food throughout the meal.
I noticed Hailey watching us from across the table, her expression tight.
Her hands were hidden beneath the tablecloth, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw clenched periodically.
I wondered what she was thinking—whether she resented this easy intimacy forming between her mother and me.
It reminded me uncomfortably o
