Echoes of Absence, Whispers of Return

Elara stared at her phone in frustration. Once again, her call to Damien went straight to voicemail. This was the fifth attempt since speaking with him last night about the Dubois family moving across from her mother's home.

"Damien, it's me again. Please call back as soon as possible. The situation with my mother is urgent." She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the hotel bed.

Just as she was contemplating her next move, her phone buzzed. Hope flared briefly until she saw it wasn't Damien but Victor.

"Any word from your husband?" Victor asked without preamble.

"Nothing," Elara replied, running a hand through her hair. "I've called multiple times since last night. Either his phone is off or he's deliberately avoiding me."

"Typical," Victor scoffed. "When it comes to anything involving the Dubois family, he's useless to us."

Elara sighed. "I'll try once more, then I'm heading to Mom's. Have you managed to keep her away from the house?"