I turned. “What?”
Seraphine stepped forward, curiosity written all over her face. “Let me see.” She slid the papers from the envelope, flipping through them slowly. Then that soft little smile curved her lips. “It’s real. All it needs is your signature.”
“She’s bluffing,” I said flatly. “Trying to get a rise out of me.”
Seraphine tilted her head, swaying the baby lightly. “Maybe… or maybe she is tired of all this. I mean, she’s been through a lot lately. She’s blind, Julian. Maybe she just wants… peace.”
“She is not going anywhere without my say-so.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and hit her number. Straight to voicemail.
I called again. Same thing. Blocked.
I paced the living room, the marble under my shoes sharp and cold. “She has no right to leave without telling me. Without permission.”
Seraphine lowered herself onto the sofa, bouncing the baby with that fake maternal glow. “Maybe she’s gone for good.”
I shot her a look. “She’ll come back. She is nothing without me.”
Seraphine’s smile was sweet, almost sympathetic. “Of course. I’m sure she will.”
But for some reason, I saw something in her eyes. A glint.
And for the first time, I felt a flicker of unease.
--