chapter 116

Isabella’s hands trembled slightly as she clutched her phone, her eyes darting nervously around the quiet corner of the hospital parking lot where she stood. She had been avoiding this call all day, but now, as dusk settled and the sky turned a deep shade of indigo, she knew she had no choice.

Her thumb hovered over the contact saved only as “Unknown,” the name as cryptic as the man behind it. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before finally pressing the call button. The phone rang twice before the familiar deep voice answered, smooth and cold.

“What do you have for me, Isabella?” the man asked, his tone clipped and devoid of any warmth.

Isabella swallowed hard, her throat dry. “Emily’s sick,” she said quickly, the words rushing out before she could second-guess them. “She collapsed this morning, and they took her to the hospital. She’s in a bad way.”

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, and Isabella could almost hear the wheels turning in the man’s head, calc