Chapter 37

Aria’s POV

I can hardly believe my eyes when I spot Maira and Emily racing toward me across the beach. Their faces are pale, and there's urgency in their footsteps. Something's wrong.

"Aria!" Maira shouts, waving her arms as she gets closer.

“Aria, we need to leave! Now!” Emily adds breathlessly.

“Leave? What are you talking about?” I ask, completely thrown off. Sebastian looks confused beside me.

But Maira doesn’t waste time. “We got a threat about you. Check your phone. We have to hurry!”

“What do you mean? Who’s threatening me?” I feel my heart racing.

“Just trust us! We only have thirty minutes before our flight!” Maira insists, her eyes wild with fear.

I pull my phone from my pocket and quickly read the text Maira shows me. My stomach drops. That’s my dad’s number. “This can’t be real,” I murmur, terrified.

“Aria, we need to go!” Emily urges, glancing nervously at Sebastian.

“What about Sebastian?” I spin around, desperate for some tether to reality.

“Sebastian, you can’t come,”