Episode 17

“I DON’T WANT HIM AT MY WEDDING,” Bright’s voice boomed, echoing through the restaurant’s normally cheerful kitchen. Claire, her hand still on Bright’s arm, looked from her fiancé to the doorway. Eli stood there, a smirk playing on his lips, a smugness that seemed to radiate from him. He’d entered just as the argument had reached its crescendo, a perfectly timed, infuriating entrance.

Bright’s eyes, already blazing, narrowed further as he took in Eli’s posture, the way he leaned against the doorframe like he owned the place. “And who,” Bright spat, his voice dangerously low, “invited you back? This is family business, Eli. The kind that doesn’t involve you.”

Eli pushed off the frame, taking a step into the kitchen. “Family business? Funny, I thought I was family. Or at least, I *was* going to be. You know, once upon a time.” He let the words hang in the air, laced with a bitterness that was almost palpable. He glanced at Claire, his gaze soft for a fleeting moment before returning to Bright. “Besides, I have a right to be here. I’m the baby’s uncle, aren’t I?”