Unraveling Shadows

“Cal!” Willia called out, rushing toward Calista the moment she spotted her. Calista quickened her steps, meeting her sister halfway and clasping Willia’s trembling hands.

“Tell me everything, Willia. Where did they take Father?” Calista’s voice wavered as the tears she’d been holding back during her journey back to California finally spilled over. Seeing her sister so distraught shattered what little composure she had left.

“I have no idea, Cal.” Willia’s voice shook as she struggled to hold back her own tears. Her hair was disheveled, a clear sign she had fought hard before they managed to take their father. “Dad was beaten and mishandled. I thought we paid them off already.”

Calista’s heart clenched at the revelation. Her father had been harmed. If this situation unraveled, she knew she would never forgive those responsible—not even Signoral.

“They didn’t touch you, did they?” Calista asked, her eyes scanning her sister.

“No,” Willia replied, gripping her sister’s hands tightly as