Lyra's phone buzzed insistently, dragging her from a fitful sleep. She blinked at the screen, her heart sinking as she saw a flood of news alerts. With growing dread, she tapped on the first one:
"MYSTERY WOMAN IDENTIFIED: Orphanage Director at Center of Vaughn Heir Scandal"
Groaning, Lyra buried her face in her pillow. She'd known this was coming, but the reality of it still felt like a punch to the gut. As she scrolled through the alerts, each headline seemed more sensational than the last.
Lyra's phone buzzed with a text from Caden: "Lyra, I'm sorry about the media exposure. This isn't what I wanted. Are you and the children alright?"
She hesitated before replying: "We're managing. Caden, what did you mean the other day about 'things in motion' you can't control?"
Several minutes p
