The dining room fell silent as soon as Ryan was escorted out. Only the faint clinking of cutlery echoed throughout the vast mansion. Nora remained seated exactly where Steven had instructed her to sit. Her fingers rested restlessly in her lap while her eyes remained cast downward. She didn’t dare look at him again. Steven, on the other hand, calmly continued eating. Every movement was so graceful. Each cut of his steak was made slowly and deliberately. It was as if Ryan had never burst into the mansion. As if the desperate plea from just moments ago meant absolutely nothing. To Steven, that plea truly meant nothing at all. Nora swallowed hard. Her appetite had long since vanished, but she forced herself to finish every bite because Steven had ordered her to do so. She no longer dared to disobey him. A few minutes passed… Steven finally placed his fork and knife neatly beside his plate before wiping his lips with a napkin. Only then did he lift his gaze t