"I want to know," he said. "Why you never mentioned Dax. Not even once. Not even to warn me."
Trevor didn't move.
Lucas continued, softer now, but colder too. "You had every chance. Even after I proposed. Even after I stayed."
His fingers curled lightly against the wood.
"I understand tactics. I understand urgency. But this—this felt like omission, not protection. And you, of all people, know how I respond to manipulation."
Trevor exhaled slowly. His expression didn't change, but something behind it settled—more focused now, as if he'd been expecting this moment.
"I wasn't hiding it from you," he said. "I just didn't think about it."
Lucas didn't look away. "That's not better."
"No. It's not," Trevor said. "What I told you about him is true—Dax is who he is. And he'll show his face soon enough. You'll meet him."
Lucas's expression didn't shift. Not exactly. But something in the air tightened, like instinct bracing against history.
