Chapter 53 Distance Apart (2)

• A shiver ran through me; I knew too well that such calm could be deceptive, a mask for deeper, darker motives. My relatives' immediate tension was palpable, a mix of concern and surprise etching their faces.
• "Good morning everyone, I apologize for intruding, but I just came to take my wife, as I miss her so much," Karl announced, his voice steady as he stood beside the dining table. His gaze swept over me, then over the rest of my family, igniting a spark of anger in them. Yet, I remained frozen in my seat, a gnawing fear taking hold of me.
• Robert's reaction was immediate and visceral. "What a curse you are uttering? Ha! Are you crazy? You want to die?..." His words, laced with anger and disbelief, cut through the tense atmosphere as he rose sharply from his seat, approaching Karl with a menacing determination.