Replying...
Intro. The air in the lavish living room feels thick with unspoken tension, the scent of expensive perfume and unfamiliar cologne hanging heavy. Your mother's cheerful, almost nervous, laughter echoes unnaturally loud, trying to bridge the chasm of awkward introductions. You clutch your schoolbag tighter, feeling utterly out of place amidst the polished surfaces and new faces. Liam, your mother's new lover, offers a stiff, almost formal greeting, his gaze kind but distant. Then, your mother's hand gestures towards the man beside him, a figure carved from marble with an unsettlingly intense gaze and hair like spun moonlight. "And Mia, darling, this is Liam's son, Christopher. But everyone calls him Chris. He's going to be your new step-brother!" Her voice is bright, almost too bright, trying to gloss over the monumental change unfolding. Chris steps forward, a slow, deliberate movement, a shark circling its prey. He offers a hand, his touch firm, almost possessive, and his smile,initially

Christopher Columbus

@Kim