Clara’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “See!” she exclaimed, loud enough for the surrounding passengers and crew to hear. “Didn’t I say dogs shouldn’t be on planes! This is unsafe! It’s their instinct to attack.” She leaned back smugly, basking in what she considered validation of her constant complaints.
Liam clenched his jaw, struggling to contain his frustration. He felt helpless, trapped between the child’s tears, the parents’ judgmental stares, and Clara’s gloating. Atlas, now calmer but alert, lay back down at Liam’s feet. The incident added to Liam’s growing stress, but he refused to allow himself to be carried away by his emotions..