SILENT MENACE

After the conversation Amelia had with her husband, an unknown caller called, saying, "Hope you got the gift, and don't be scared, my love. I'm always with you." Before Amelia could respond, the caller hung up.

She froze, her heart hammering in her chest as she stared at the phone in disbelief. A shiver ran down her spine, and a wave of panic washed over her. The words echoed in her mind—*“My love”*—but she knew they didn’t come from Alexander. She didn’t recognize the voice, and that made it all the more terrifying.

She was really scared and didn’t know what to do. Her first instinct was to call Alex again, hoping he would know how to handle this. Her fingers trembled as she dialed his number, each ring feeling like an eternity. When he finally picked up, the sound of his voice brought her a momentary sense of relief, but it was fleeting.

“Alex,” she breathed, trying to keep her voice steady, but the fear was evident in her tone.

“What’s wrong, Amelia? You sound shaken,” Alex a