Present Day
Leon stares at his laptop screen, reading the same sentence over and over until the words blur together.
Aria Hart was awarded sole custody of the couple's daughter in their 2021 divorce settlement.
Daughter.
His daughter.
The child he hasn't seen in three years, hasn't asked about, hasn't even thought about until this moment.
What kind of father does that make him?
The answer sits in his chest like a stone.
His phone buzzes. Jake's name flashes on the screen.
"Leon, we have a problem."
"Just one?" Leon's voice sounds hollow even to himself.
"The media's asking about your daughter. Where she is, why no one's seen her, what your relationship is like."
Leon closes his eyes. "What am I supposed to tell them?"
The silence on the other end stretches too long.
"Jake?"
