Now, silence descended upon the room, broken only by the heavy breathing of the three adults. Richard picked up his glasses, his hands shaking violently as he slid them back onto his nose, staring at the floor with a heartbroken expression. Clara stood behind Ethan, dabbing a dry eye with the corner of her sleeve, though a strange, fleeting glint flashed in her eyes when Ethan wasn't looking.
Chapter 2: The Red Lens
Ethan turned his back on his father, intending to storm out of the room to cool his boiling blood. As he pivoted toward the heavy library shelves, something small and mechanical caught his eye. Nestled snugly between a vintage volume of Shakespeare and a leather-bound dictionary on the