A faint chuckle echoed from the other end of the line.

Mindful of Brantley's presence, Elissa carefully navigated the conversation, steering clear of any hint of intimacy. Once the call ended, her tone turned stern again. "You know better than to miss that question."

Brantley gripped his pen, stealing a glance at Elissa before bowing his head to the task at hand.

He was incredibly well-behaved, hardly requiring any additional attention... But the underlying reason was rather disheartening. Most well-behaved children harbored a constant sense of insecurity.

In the quiet of the night, the maid roused Elissa from her sleep.