Not long after the three went upstairs, all manner of sounds washed over Allen, who leaned silently against the stairs:
Zenith's hoarse, furious roar;
The thump of someone dropping to their knees;
Apologies choked with sobs;
The sound of Zenith storming out;
The creak of fabric as people tugged at each other's clothes;
The sounds of fists landing on Paul during a scuffle;
Rudy's voice begging Zenith;
The outburst of emotion subsiding;
Paul and Lilia judging themselves and laying bare their true feelings about the family;
Forehead knocks of repentance, along with promises for the future;
Finally, Rudy's voice asking Zenith to pass judgment on Paul and Lilia.
Silence descended over the upper floor.
Allen, downstairs by the stairs, could not help clenching his palm.
Then came ten long minutes of silence.
Zenith began to cry. At first, it was only soft sobbing, but it soon rose into pained wails.
Then into heartrending cries.
The Greyrat Family's infidelity incident had come to an end.
Zenith
Had not chosen to leave.
Allen let out a long breath, sat down at the dining table, poured himself a glass of water, and tried to settle his racing heart.
A family melodrama.
What a thrill.
By the time the crying upstairs had completely stopped, an hour had passed.
During that time, Allen had fallen into confusion. Logically speaking, he had participated in this infidelity incident. Yet no matter how he called for the system, it would not come out to rate him.
He was a little dumbfounded.
At last, a jumble of footsteps sounded on the stairs. Allen turned to look and saw Lilia supporting Zenith as she came down, while Paul scratched his head with the expression of a man who had survived a disaster. When he saw Allen's face, even with