(Author's POV)
Phineas didn't waste time on pleasantries. His voice was measured and deliberate, each sentence landing like something carefully placed.
He said that Rosalind's kindergarten teacher had reached out to Aurora - apparently Jasper had been too occupied with his company to notice that his daughter had stopped wanting to come home. He said Aurora was pregnant and had no interest in being pulled into the complications of Jasper's household. He said that going forward, any matter involving Rosalind should be directed to him, not Aurora.
And then, before Jasper could respond, Phineas said: "A man can build an empire. But if he can't hold his own house together, he ends up with nothing worth keeping."
The line went dead.
Jasper sat very still.
Across the table, Valerie set down
