Casaio slowly lowered the phone after the call ended. Gabriel's voice still echoed in his mind — the pain behind it couldn't be ignored. 'He's hurting… and I can feel it too,' Casaio thought grimly.
"Why did Mom do it… and how did she even find out who Riley was?" he muttered to himself, a frown settling on his face.
But there was no time to dwell on those questions now. Confronting his mother would have to wait. First, he had more urgent matters to deal with — Zilia and Idris had to be brought back, and Estelle had been admitted to the hospital. Too much had unraveled in too little time, and it all demanded his attention.
A soft knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Your Highness, dinner has been served," a servant informed politely from the entrance of his private quarters.
"I won't be joining," Casaio responded curtly, slipping into a long coat. Without another word, he grabbed his car keys from the table and strode out.
