One wrong step, and he’d walk straight into their trap. These business types were just that cunning. That was why he always tried to steer clear of them whenever he could. But in this line of work, avoiding contact altogether was impossible. So, the Ravenshore chief did his best to keep a low profile. After all, who knew what those people were really thinking? In his mind, not a single one of those corporate elites could be trusted. That was the conclusion he’d quietly come to. If it weren’t for Tessa and Julian, he would’ve never gotten involved.
This whole mess had been entirely unexpected. The chief let out a long sigh, resigning himself to the situation—might as well deal with it since it was already in front of him. After all, he’d have to face these types sooner or later. Might as well treat it as practice. Taking a deep breath, he finally dialed Grace’s number. Unlike Albert, she didn’t pick up right away. The phone rang for quite a while, only connecting just before the call would’ve timed out.
“Hello? Is this Grace Williamson of Walton Corporation?”
There was a pause on the other end before Grace slowly responded, “Who’s this?”
“This is the chief of the Ravenshore Police Department. I’m calling to ask—are you aware that your daughter, Tessa Walton, is currently in our custody?”
“What? She’s in Ravenshore?” Grace’s exhaustion and anxiety vanished in an instant. She jumped to her feet, stunned. She’d been focused entirely on trying to get information out of Aurora. Now it seemed she had overthought everything. She never imagined Aurora would keep something like this from her.
But at least she knew now, and it wasn’t too late. There was still time to fix things. Thank goodness. She could still turn this around.
The chief gave a small nod. “Yes, Miss Tessa is currently in our custody.”
Hearing that, Grace finally relaxed a little. “How is she doing?”
The chief felt a wave of irritation. What was it with these two parents? One kept asking endless questions but never bothered to show up. The other agreed quickly and planned to come in person. What kind of people were they, really? Despite the annoyance bubbling inside, the chief knew he had no choice but to respond politely. After all, this was Ravenshore. If he didn’t tread carefully, he might not last long in his position. These two were power players—giants in their own right. Offending them would be career suicide. Once they were angry, his time as chief would be over. He wouldn’t last in this post. Dreaming of staying on would be a fool’s hope. He knew exactly how much influence they held in Ravenshore. Dealing with people like them was like bargaining with predators. But he had no other choice. They couldn’t leave this matter hanging forever. It wasn’t as if the police station could turn into their personal waiting room. Shaking his head, he finally answered the question on the line.
“She’s alright for now. The issue is more with Mr. Julian—his condition isn’t looking great.”
Grace narrowed her eyes, something about that sounding off. “What’s wrong with Julian?” At this point, her hatred toward Julian ran deep. She hadn’t forgotten. Both of her daughters had been dragged into chaos because of that man.