“Sir, we have Dominic Vance on the secondary line. He’s demanding to speak with Ms. Brooks. He claims he returned to his apartment, found no dinner prepared, and wants to know her current location.”

I felt the last remaining shred of attachment turn to ash. He wasn’t asking about the health of his newborn child. He wasn’t checking whether his recovering wife had survived the commute.

He was demanding an update on his dinner.

My father stood, his posture commanding. “Terminate the line. And block every incoming frequency from that individual, permanently.”

“Understood, sir.”

My father walked to his executive desk and lifted an encrypted terminal. “Connect me to Corporate Legal. Then bring the Chief Financial Officer online.