Irvin's POV
I studied my mom with growing curiosity, my eyes narrowing a fraction.
"Yeah, that's all," she finally said, though her gaze remained locked on me, as if she was searching my expression for some reaction she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to witness.
I crossed my arms over my chest, settling my lower back against the desk's edge. My attention stayed fixed on her. Something about her tone struck me as off—too nonchalant to be genuinely casual.
"Mom," I said deliberately, cocking my head slightly, "what aren't you telling me?"
She didn't respond immediately. For a long, measured moment, she just watched me, as though carefully considering her next move. Then, rather than providing the explanation I was after, she threw out something completely different.
"Are you meeting the new employees tomorrow?" she asked.
I held her stare for another beat, my mouth tightening into a thin line.
