Chapter 16

Ray's heart skipped a beat when he heard a knock on the door. He knew very well who it was even before he opened it.

"Goodafternoon, Dad," Ray said, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Hello, Ray," Mr Charles replied curtly.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two as Mr Charles walked into the living room, looking around with mild curiosity.

"Ithas been a while," Ray said awkwardly, trying to break the tension.

"Yes, it has," Mr Charles replied coldly, sitting down on the sofa.

Ray wanted to say something, to make things right between them, but the words wouldn't come out. He felt like he had a thousand things to say but didn't know where to start.

"So, what brings you here, Dad?" Ray asked, breaking the silence.

"I need to talk to you about something important," Mr Charles said, his expression serious.

Ray's heart raced as he braced himself for whatever was coming next. They had not spoken since their last argument, and he had no idea what his father wanted to talk about.

"I