Lyra stood beside Percival at the banquet, watching the Gallagher family from across the room. Though she'd convinced Percival to attend specifically to mend fences with them, the tension in his jaw told her everything she needed to know. This wasn't just business.
"You have no interest in reconciling with them, do you?" she asked quietly.
Percival's gray eyes remained fixed on Alice Gallagher. "What gave it away?"
"The fact that you're grinding your teeth to dust might be a clue," Lyra replied.
His mouth twitched. "Observant as always."
"It's not about their company at all, is it?"
Percival's expression turned to granite. "Alice Gallagher is my biological mother."
The revelation hit Lyra like a physical blow. She studied Alice's delicate features, trying to find Percival in them. The elegant woman in the wheelchair looked nothing like the hard, powerful man beside her.
