Julius was losing their mind, slowly. He paced the house like a caged animal, barely in control. Macey had mercifully fallen into a troubled sleep with Lyra watching over her. Coda had called from the office, confirming they had no large deals underway that were vulnerable to corporate espionage. So, it wasn’t their rivals who orchestrated this.
His phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID to see an unfamiliar number. The police officer beside him quickly waved him over to their equipment, making sure it was paired before nodding for him to answer.
“Hello,” Julius answered in a clipped tone.
“Papa.”
“Aria? Aria! Thank god, where are you? Are you okay?” Julius glanced over his shoulder to see Lyra had moved closer to listen since he was on speaker.
“Hello, Mister DaLair,” an
