The line rang. And rang. And rang. Still no answer.
The sound drilled into Roman, each repetition tightening the knot in his chest. He stopped abruptly, staring out into the dimming estate grounds as his thoughts collided all at once.
Underground. Where? Who had her? And that number. Who did it belong to?
His breathing slowed slightly, not from calm but from control, as another thought slipped in, cold and unwelcome.
What if this was a setup? His grip on the phone tightened as his mind drifted to the email. That carefully crafted lie Vance meant to push him away from Estelle.
Roman exhaled through his nose, sharp and measured, his eyes narrowing slightly. Something wasn't right. This felt too convenient.
But the message, the message felt real.
He looked down at the screen again, rereading it, searching for something, anything, that might confirm or deny what his instincts were telling him. But nothing came. Only urgency. Only doubt. Only her name.
