Olivia's voice trembled slightly through the speaker, her usual icy monotone softening with hesitation as she broached the subject, assuming Kafka was unaware of her prolonged absence.
"Kafi...I don't know if you realize why I've been stuck in the city so long. Why I haven't come home yet...You probably think I'm just keeping my distance, like always, staying away from you and Abi—"
But to her surprise, Kafka interrupted, his voice steady and assured, cutting through her assumptions with calm certainty.
"I already know why, Mom. Mom told me everything—about the business, the mess you're dealing with trying to sell it so you can come back."
"...I also know it's not your fault, that you're tangled up in circumstances you can't control. You're not choosing to stay away."
Hearing this, Olivia fell silent, a wave of secret relief washing over her, thinking, 'He knows? He doesn't blame me?' mingled with a spark of frustration at what Abigaille had done.
