Chapter Twelve

As the call connected and his mother's voice spoke on the other end of the line, Sinjin took a deep breath. However, she wasn't speaking to him but cussing out a poor maid who'd not done her job well. He had mistakenly thought that she would change as the years passed, but she remained the overbearing woman he had known all his life.

"Sorry about that, dear," Camilla said, her voice carrying a hint of a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call this fine morning?"

"Isn't it too early to call people names, mother?" He asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

"It's 11 am. That's not early," She responded casually. "Is something wrong, darling? You never call me first. I always do the calling, and you always ignore me."

"Right," He murmured. "Mrs. Bale told me you dropped by for a visit yesterday. Did you meet anyone you weren't supposed to talk to?"

"What are you talking about?" She feigned ignorance. "I met Imelda, and she told me you weren't home, so I left."

"I see," He said, rub