as Astrid walked out through the automatic doors of Whole Foods carry

without a trace of makeup, her striking features st

taxi, something soft and warm slammed into her

dren's dress was craning her neck up, her red-rimmed eyes br

and big, grape-like eyes full of water. She

per bag nearly slipped from her grip, and s

ie, the "illegitimate daughter" Bartholomew had

in her chest, Astrid squatted down and t

e the wrong person.

fat teardrops pattering onto A

ng! You are my Mommy

h would Bartholomew keep her photo a

g it up to a child's nonsense, and reached out

Why are you out her

d jutted out her l

wanted to hit me. The bodyguard unc

immediately thought of Cristen, her bro

n black suits searching frantically around the s

men, but looking at Kallie trembling like a wet kitte

oncrete, lifted Kallie with one arm, and walked over t

ck, greedily breathing in the faint scent of orange blosso

them to come pick you up," Astrid said, pulli

darted around before she

.. Daddy's phone n

her temples

nd let the police officers

ked. She burst into loud wails, her two sm

ce will send me back

d in their tracks, shooting disapproving glar

tracksuit marched over an

ou make a little g

trid could only awkwardly pat

no police.

ith tears still hanging on her eyela

rner spotted them on the bench and sprinted over

tepped in front of Ka

you to th

in front waved his hand impatiently. "That's none

yes narrowing. "Are you her family? Her fa

d something about being "sent by the family," the other just

abbed at Kallie's arm. The girl shrieked and buried herself in Astri

g anymore-they wer

d Kallie was screaming that they worked for the "bad auntie." If she h

und, and dived into the back seat of a yel

ollar bills against the back of the driver's headrest, and the

hild and pulled out her phone with the other