Page 71 of Betrayal of a Billionaire
He strode into the dining room, eyeing his children. No one greeted him. Seemed everyone’s moods were about the same.
“Anyone seen Julia this morning?” he asked.
“Nope. Did she even come home last night?” Kyle asked.
He slid his eyes sideways, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. “Yes, she did. I went to the restaurant last night, and we came home together.”
Sierra lifted her eyes from her iced latte. “Really?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod.
“She must still be asleep, then. Her car’s here,” Kyle answered. “And I’ve been up for hours.”
No doubt waiting for Julia to emerge from her room so he could speak with her, Grant thought, as he sipped his coffee. “I’d better check on her.”
“I’ll come–”
“No,” Grant said with a shake of his head. “I can manage it.”
After another sip, he set his coffee on the table and navigated upstairs to Julia’s room. A knock on the door produced nothing. He tried again, this time louder. “Julia?”
She didn’t answer. “Julia? Are you okay?”
He wondered if she was hiding under her covers again. “I’m coming in. If you’re hiding under the covers again–”
His words cut off as he swung the door open, finding an empty bedroom and a bed not slept in. Her purse still sat on the dresser, but her phone wasn’t next to her bed. His brow furrowed. Where was Julia?
He pulled his phone from his pocket and keyed in her number before pressing the phone to his ear. After a few rings, her voicemail greeting played. He ended the call before it finished, a sinking feeling in his stomach.
He shoved it aside. She probably went for a walk or went out with her sister. Or someone else. His nose wrinkled as he tried her cell phone again. It went straight to voicemail again.
His eyes fell onto the bed. With a shake of his head, he left the room behind and hurried down the stairs. “Worthington?”
“Yes, sir?” the man asked as he entered the kitchen.
“Did one of the maids make Julia’s bed this morning? She slept here last night, didn’t she?”
“Not that I am aware of, sir, but allow me to check again.”
He nodded as he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked it, considering calling her again. Worthington strode into the room before he could. “No one made the bed this morning, sir. Perhaps Mrs. Harrington did it herself.”
“Maybe,” he said as he chewed his lower lip. He didn’t think that was the case. Where was Julia?
“She’s not here?” Kyle asked as he strode into the kitchen and refilled his coffee.
“No. And it doesn’t look like she slept in her bed.”
“Perhaps check with her sister, sir?” Worthington suggested.
“Yeah, maybe. She…doesn’t like me. Wait,” he said as he dug into his pocket. “I’ll call the police and ask for Ethan.”
“Why him?” Kyle asked.
“Never mind,” Grant said as he dialed the number for the local police. He asked for the chief, giving his name.
A second later, Ethan’s voice answered. “Chief Whitmore.”
“Ethan, it’s Grant.”
