Inside the canteen, Lilac sat across from Stanley, her gaze fixed on him, scrutinizing every flicker of expression.
"So, you're telling me Brother Kalix knew everything—about Reeve and his involvement with Alexander?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with suspicion.
Stanley gave a slow, thoughtful nod.
"Then why didn't you tell me before? Why the delay?" Lilac pressed, still unsure if Stanley had laid all his cards on the table.
Stanley met her determined stare, and somewhere deep inside, guilt coiled tight. He should have told her sooner.
"I thought you'd have figured it out," he said finally. "Especially after the way Sean tried to reach you. But I guess you're a little slow."
Lilac's lips twitched at the jab. "I am not slow, okay? It's just… sometimes I forget to overthink." She shot back, watching the corner of his mouth curl into a faint, amused smile.
That smile told her he'd been teasing—and that thought alone made her scoff.
