Lyra leaned against the wall outside the parlor, her breathing deliberately slow and steady as she listened to Orla's frantic footsteps pacing the room. The Bluetooth earpiece Percival had given her earlier remained snug in her ear. Within minutes, Orla's phone rang again.
"I told you to stop calling me!" Orla hissed into the receiver.
Julian's voice came through, no longer pleading but cold with desperation. "The media is surrounding my apartment building. They know about my father's death."
"And why is that my problem?" Orla's voice dripped with disdain.
"Because I'll tell them everything." His voice cracked. "About how you've been impersonating Lyra to seduce Jasper. About how you stole Dr. Payne's research to pass off as your own. About how you've been living a life that doesn't belong to you."
Lyra's eyes widened slightly. So Julian knew about Orla's deception regarding Dr. Payne's identity. She pressed herself closer to the wall, not wanting to miss a word.
