Chapter 78 Breaking Down

• Cathleen's grip slackened, her resolve wavering in the gilded foyer of their grandiose home. The weighty click of her luggage clasped shut echoed, a symbol of her intent to depart. Doctor West, stern as ever, approached with outstretched hands, firm and sure, seizing the handles that she couldn't bear. His arms tensed as he lifted, his eyes not unkind, guiding the heavy burdens away from her trembling form.
• "Nothing that belongs to my wife will leave this premises. Including her," Xavier's voice sliced through the air, a razor-edged decree that halted everyone in their tracks. It was laced with an authority that bordered on the primitive, a claim staked deep into the ground of his estate.
• Doctor West's movement ceased, his spine stiffening and the wheels of the suitcase coming to a standstill against the marble floor. He turned, searching Xavier's eyes for any trace of Jest, only to find none. Even Old Mr. Knight, who stood a silent sentinel by the doorway, furrowed his brow in ponderous thought. Xavier's eyes bore into Cathleen's, a chilling intensity that made her skin prickle. The air between them crackled with tension as he uttered in a low, menacing tone, "You don't leave this house without my say."