Duke, who had been sitting at his desk, immediately stood, his sharp blue eyes snapping to me. His expression darkened, unreadable.
"What?" His voice was dangerously low.
I opened my mouth, struggling to find the right words. "Duke, I—"
"Come here," he ordered.
My legs felt heavy as I stepped forward, my hands clammy. The air in the room had shifted, thick with something suffocating.
"Why did you give him milk?!" Duke asked, his tone eerily calm.
I swallowed hard. "I wasn’t thinking. It slipped my mind."
His gaze didn’t waver. "Slipped your mind?"
The way he said it sent chills down my spine.
"You’re his mother, Britney." His voice dropped lower, his tone razor-sharp. "You don’t forget something like that."
His words coiled around me like a snake.
I forced myself to meet his gaze. "I made a mistake, Duke."
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed my wrist, yanking me closer. His grip was tight, his fingers digging into my skin.
"You can fool everyone else," he murmured, his breath hot against my cheek. "But you will never fool me."
My stomach twisted.