Rita's Point Of View
"Actually, Mom... since you're here in Texas... there's someone I want you to meet."
"What do you mean by that, Seraphina?" I asked, my voice fracturing under the weight of a thousand terrifying possibilities. Each word felt like broken glass scraping against my throat. "Who could you possibly want me to meet in a place like this? Who are you with?"
"Nothing, Mom," she replied, her voice unnervingly serene… too calm, like the glassy surface of a lake before a storm. The composure in her tone made my stomach clench into a tight knot of dread. "Just... please. I just want you to come. I need you to see for yourself."
My heart hammered against my ribs like a caged bird desperate for escape. "Is it them? The people who took you?" I was pacing now, unable to stand still, the heels of my shoes digging into Rose's carpet and leaving small indentations in the plush fibers.
