Daniel stared at his phone for a moment.
Then he dialed.
Vivienne watched him assuming he was calling a lawyer. She relaxed slightly and moved toward the kitchen.
The call connected.
"Hello?" A warm familiar voice answered.
"Mrs. Luciana ," Daniel said. His voice shifted into something softer. Calculated. "I'm sorry to call like this. I didn't know who else to reach out to."
"Daniel?" Sofia's mother sounded surprised. "What's wrong?"
"It's Mara," he said. "Something happened and she left with Lily. She's been acting very differently lately and I'm genuinely worried about her. She followed some people she barely knows and I don't think she's in a good place mentally."
A pause on the other end.
"What people?" Mrs. Luciana asked carefully.
"A couple who showed up at our door claimin
