Manhunt

Chapter 12

Julia stomped off the deck, heading to Zane's table to retrieve the rose and unread note. Before Zane could get one word past her, she was across the room and a few feet from where her parents stood. They must have sensed a disturbance in the air, for their heads snapped towards Julia's direction, eyes slightly wide and lips pressed into a tight line.

She was more than just angry. She was infuriated, along with being confused, anxious, and so many other emotions that she couldn't possibly decipher them all without losing track. As soon as she was only a foot away from them, she revealed part of the rose more clearly, lifting the top so that only they could see. The change of atmosphere was instant, the room seemingly cooler as their fists clenched tightly.

At the same time, the three of them turned on their heel and walked towards a corner where no one could overhear their conversation. Her father had already whipped out his phone, quickly contacting the research lab and Virtus. Emma turned her attention to her daughter, and Julia filled her in on what happened with as much detail as she could. As she did so, she listened in on her father's conversation.

"Red? Is Jonathan there gathering information about the rose?" Aiden questioned, a beat of silence passing before he simply nodded his head. "Understood. We bumped into another problem tonight involving the same subject." As he continued his report, Julia looked around the room, quickly scanning the room. She caught Zane's concerned gaze before his eyes dropped down to his plate, his eyebrows furrowing before forcibly relaxing, entirely expressionless now. It was obvious he suspected something, which meant Julia needed to be more careful around him. It wouldn't be fair to drag him into something that didn't involve him.

"That boy is much more observant than we've initially assumed." Julia's mother suddenly spoke up, her stare trained on the boy in question. "Zane Martin, was it?"

"Yeah, that's him." She confirmed, already knowing where her mother's thoughts were leading to. Julia had yet to share her discover with anyone else, but perhaps now was as good of a time as any. "He's an agent." Emma was silent for a moment, pondering on what her daughter had just admitted.

"Which means he cannot be trusted, Julia. Do you understand?" She nodded, accepting her mother's warning. The possibility hadn't left her mind from the moment she found out his secret—the possibility that he could be an enemy. Her heart ached terribly at the thought, considering how hard he tried to prove he was innocent.

Aiden glanced over at the two before motioning towards a door leading into a hallway. The three exited the ballroom while he continued speaking with Red on the other line.

"Are you sure?" Her father pressed urgently, gaining both his daughter's and wife's attention. The response made him inhale sharply, his Adam's apple bobbing as he clenched and unclenched his jaw. Finally, he released his breath with a hiss. "Damn it."

Julia felt her mother's hand grasp hers, silently coaching her to stay calm. But Julia wasn't sure if the reassurance was for her, or for her mother, with the grim look clearly etched into her face.

"We'll send the other rose in for testing." Aiden stated before hanging up the phone, sliding it back into his pocket. He turned away from them, sighing as he avoided eye contact with Julia and Emma.

"Dad," she called out to him, willing for him to face her rather than to stay consumed in his thoughts. When he didn't, Julia pulled her hand from her mother's grasp, growing frustrated. "You need to tell me what's going on."

Silence followed her request, and finally, something inside her snapped. She walked right over to him, swinging around him until he had no choice but to face her. Unwilling to get into it with her, he moved to step away from her, but she forcibly placed her hand on his chest to halt his movements. She knew her father all too well, and the act alone was enough for him to feel a sense of disrespect, for she was challenging his authority. Eyes blazing, he finally looked at his daughter as he placed his hand over hers.