Chapter 373

The shrill ringtone cut through the silence like a knife. But the one holding the phone just stood there, frozen. Her expression looked like she’d seen a ghost—like the call was straight out of a horror movie. No need for costumes or makeup, she could’ve starred in a remake of The Ring just like that. “Whose call is that?” Julian’s voice was sharp. He wasn’t even a few steps away from Marian, so when he moved closer, the caller ID on her screen was fully visible to him—it was the butler who’d been missing for a whole day. “I’ll take it,” Julian said, reaching for her phone. “No—!” Marian clutched the phone to her chest like it was her lifeline, clearly panicked. Realizing she was overreacting, she forced herself to calm down and took a shaky breath. “It’s fine. I’ll answer it.” She stepped back quickly, swiping to answer before the call could ring again. Not waiting for the person on the line to speak, she fired off questions like bullets. “Why are you doing this? Where’s Claire? What