The bedroom fell silent, the quiet broken only when Lionel''s phone rang.


    He picked it up, and a look of concern washed over his face. He quickly stepped out onto the balcony, sliding the door shut behind him.


    Hannah let out a long sigh and sank weakly onto the bed. Watching the worried, pained expression on his face, she didn''t need to guess who was calling. It was Sandra, again.


    Two minutester, Lionel came back in, grabbed his jacket, and rushed out without a word.


    The door mmed shut with a loud bang that made Hannah''s heart jolt.


    The room was once again empty and quiet, just as it had always been.


    She sat there for what felt like hours, until the sky waspletely dark. When she finally stood up, she noticed the empty picture frame hanging above the bed.


    Lionel hadn''t noticed it at all.


    He didn''t return until the next morning, having spent the night at the hospital. When he came back, his grandmother was already waiting in the living room.


    "Where have you been so early in the morning?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing at the faint dark circles under his. She knew he hadn''t slept. "I heard a car leavingst night. Don''t tell me you ran off to the hospital to take care of that hussy again!"


    "There was an emergency at the office," Lionel said calmly.


    He scanned the living room but didn''t see Hannah. He started up the stairs. "Lily, is breakfast ready? Take Grandma to the dining room."


    Lily hurried over, whispering, "Mr. Rosenberg, after you leftst night, Ma''am left too. She hasn''te back yet. Your grandmother was just asking why she wasn''t up yet."


    Lionel''s hand tightened on the railing. "Where did she go?"


    Lily shook her head. "I don''t know. She hasn''t been staying here at night recently."


    Lionel''s lips pressed into a thin line. She was an orphan with no close friends in the city. Where could she possibly go if she left the Rosenberg estate?


    "Lionel, go wake Hannah up for breakfast! I''m taking her for a full check-up this afternoon. We need to get her a customized meal n and fatten her up!"


    Lionel paused, then turned and walked toward the dining room.


    "She had an early appointment. I just dropped her off," he lied, adding for good measure, “She was afraid you''d stop her, so she asked me not to tell you."


    His grandmother, who had just sat


    down, looked up at him suspiciously. Seeing his calm demeanor, she grumbled already resigned. Shee what appointment could she


    possibly have? Tell me, did you


    refuse to let her quit and make her go back?"


    "You told me you became a partner at that firm so you could protect her from being bullied, to make sure they didnt overwork her. And what happens? Every time I call her, she tells me she''s busy with a case!"


    "The resignation has to be


    processed. Once it''s done, she''ll be able to spend all her time with you Lionel said, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "I''ll call herter and ask her toe back as soon as she''s finished. How does that sound?"


    "Call the firm and tell them to hurry it up."


    "I''ll do it right now," Lionel nodded. “Grandma, you go ahead and eat.”


    He stepped out of the dining room and dialed Hannah''s number.


    "You were out all night and still aren''t home. What do you think you''re doing? Get


    back here now."