Andre's POV
My phone vibrated against my leg just as Caesar, Curtis, and I reached the entrance of the council building. The two of them were deep in conversation, probably rehearsing our final arguments for the appeal. Without checking the caller ID, I pressed the phone to my ear.
"Andre?" My mother's voice cracked through the speaker, high-pitched with terror. "Please tell me Meryl is there with you. She never came home yesterday after storming out. Nobody's seen her anywhere. She has to be with you, right?"
The world tilted sideways. Every muscle in my body locked up like I'd been struck by lightning.
Caesar glanced back, his expression shifting to concern. "Everything alright?"
Curtis stopped mid-sentence. "What's wrong?"
