The man on the other end paused for a moment before speaking again, his tone lower now, less sharp but heavier with meaning. "Here's a piece of advice, Scarlett. Some things aren't worth fighting for."
"What do you mean by that?" My voice came out tighter than I expected. It felt like the ground beneath me had shifted, leaving me with no clear footing, no solid path forward.
"I gotta go." The line went dead.
I lowered the phone slowly and stared ahead at the crowd gathered outside the building. Their presence wasn't random. It felt deliberate, like a pressure closing in from all sides, each person part of a larger current I couldn't easily push against.
My phone rang again, breaking the silence. Macy's name appeared on the screen.
"Where are you?" she asked quickly.
"Outside the office building."
"Got it, stay where you are. I'll come and get you."
