The Unexpected Call: A Name That Froze My Blood
Then, last Tuesday, a call came from an unknown number with my old area code. I almost ignored it. When I finally answered, the voice on the other end was raspy, strained, and undeniably Ethan’s.
“Elara,” he choked out, the sound of my name a jarring echo from the past. “Please don’t hang up. I… I need to talk to you. I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t desperate.”
My hand gripped the phone until my knuckles turned white. My blood ran icy cold. Desperate? After stealing my life, my love, and my peace, what could he possibly need? Was this an olive branch? A cynical request for cash? Or something far more sinister, a sign that the consequences of their actions were finally catching up to them?
His next words landed with the blunt force of a demolition ball. “I need your help, Elara. I know you hate me—you have every right—but I need you to listen to what happened to Liam.”
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