Next came a short, elderly man with a deeply lined face and a constant smile that screamed flattery.

Grace narrowed her eyes. She’d seen plenty like him. The type who played it smooth, always agreeable and safe. The kind of person who knew how to work a room but never stuck his neck out. Someone like that was never worth trusting too deeply. People like him were calculating–they always knew exactly what they wanted. But to his credit, he had principles. He wouldn’t touch what wasn’t his, and he wouldn’t meddle unless it served him.

Grace gave a slight nod. “Where are they now?” She had no intention of wasting time and went straight to the point. She hadn’t been able to get anything out of Aurora, but now, fate had simply handed her the opportunity. She wasn’t about to waste it. And she had to admit that the chief’s call had been perfectly timed.

Albert stood silently beside her, but the look in his eyes said it all. He, too, was waiting for answers. He stared directly at the chief, clearly expecting something useful.

The chief maintained his mild, courteous smile. “No need to worry. Come with me.”

Grace and Albert exchanged a glance before both gave a cold snort and turned away from each other. Still, they both fell in line behind the chief without word.

Surprisingly, Grace held back from snapping at Albert for once. In the police station, it was best to keep things professional. And this was still Ravenshore–they had reputations to maintain. If any of this made the news, it wouldn’t just embarrass them, it could tank their companies’ stock value. That, at least, was something they both understood perfectly.

When it came to the bigger picture, they still had some sense, especially Albert–what he cared about most was, of course, his company. From the start, the thought of cutting Julian off hadn’t been a bluff. Aside from Carol, no one else knew about it. Albert certainly wasn’t foolish enough to go around telling others–of course not.

As he drifted into thought, his steps began to slow.

Grace snapped impatiently, “Are you still planning to see your son or not? Why are you walking this slowly? Are both kids mine now?” She couldn’t help but roll her eyes inwardly. She had no patience for his attitude. They were already here, and yet he still carried himself like he couldn’t care less. Grace truly hadn’t expected him to be this indifferent.

But Albert didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He shrugged and said, “If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have shown up today. Whatever else, he’s still my son. So, you don’t need to worry on my behalf.” The smile on his face never faded as he walked ahead without another word. Watching Grace get ruffled like that gave him more satisfaction than watching his own stock rise.

Up front, the chief continued to lead the way, keeping a polite smile and pretending not to hear their exchange. All he needed to do was focus on his job and get it done. Along the way, a few junior officers caught sight of the pair–seeing that the chief himself was escorting them in, it was clear they held serious status.

After what felt like a long walk, the chief finally stopped in front of a room. “We’re here. Your children will be brought in shortly.”

Hearing that, Grace felt her heart skip a beat. She looked at the bare walls of the interrogation room, and a quiet tension settled deep in her chest.