CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

Stephan's sleep was violently broken by his phone which was ringing with no rest at all. Semi-comatose, he grasped his phone and answered the call, his speech still dulled by sleep.

“Hello?" Stephan mumbled, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Mr Rodriguez, it's me, your assistant," came the urgent voice on the other end of the line. "You need to see this. You're trending on multiple blogs.

Stephan’s eyes opened wide, his heart running in a fast rhythm at cross-currents of curiosity and fear. He did not take much time to sit up on his bed, his thoughts racing and wondering as he reached for his iPad and began scrolling through the blogs. With every click he took, his heartbeat quickened, until he could barely grasp his breath. He stared at the pictures that met him on the screen his eyes widening in horror.

There, shot in pieces, were photos of him, Ruby, and Ethan, that were taken during the day they had spent at the park. The headlines labelled them as his "secret family," speculating