(Isla)
I sat with that for a moment.
Then I nodded because that might've been the most useful thing anyone had said all day.
The room settled into a quieter silence after that. Not awkward. Not strained. The kind that happened when the important things had already been said and everyone was deciding what came next. Caden leaned back slightly in his chair and studied me for a moment before speaking again.
"Can I ask you something that isn't political?" he said.
I looked at him.
"You can ask."
A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. That wasn't permission. It was an answer that left the choice in my hands after the question was asked. Somehow that made me trust him a little more than I had an hour ago.
Caden folded his hands together.
"When did you know?"
I frowned slightly.
