Leah slowly turned to her father-in-law, the patriarch of the Everett family—a man of seventy-seven, with distinguished lines marking his tanned, well-kept face and a full crown of silver hair swept neatly back. His posture remained straight, and though age had softened the sharpness of his gaze, it still held a steady, commanding strength.
"He was with Selina throughout the previous evening," Leah replied.
"Selina?" Elder Gilbert muttered as if the name sounded strange to him.
"Yes, Father."
A slight frown crossed Elder Gilbert's face. "I thought I kept Selina estranged and forbade her from seeing anyone in our family. How did they come to meet?"
"I was wondering the same thing. It makes me question how long they've been seeing each other behind our backs. Selina has always been rebellious," Leah muttered, bitterness seeping into her voice.
Clarissa sensed that the information her mother shared had upset her grandfather as she quickly spoke in a soft tone.
