[Camilla]
"What do you mean they ran off?" I demanded, my voice coming out harsher than I'd intended.
Then I quickly caught myself. I was speaking with Mrs. Salvador, after all. A grieving mother who'd just lost her daughter. I needed to sound sympathetic, concerned and maybe even helpful.
I softened my tone, injecting false warmth into every syllable.
"Oh, I mean—I’m so sorry, I'm just shocked. How could that have happened? My father gave explicit instructions for them to stay at the hospital."
Mrs. Salvador's voice was ragged as she explained what had occurred—how Nikolai had apparently fled the hospital with that Isolde b***h barely an hour after my father had instructed him to remain on standby. How they'd simply vanished before any of the other adults could arrive.
I clicked my
