Isabella stared at her phone for what felt like an eternity, the words "Free him — or your son dies this time" seared into her mind. Her hands were shaking as she gripped her phone tighter.
She paced the living room, her heart racing; every shadow in the room seemed alive. Then her phone buzzed once more—another text.
Victor: Meet me tomorrow at 10 a.m. At the old Vineyard suite. Come alone.
Isabella froze. The name she dreaded most.
She swallowed hard as her mind whirled. He knows, she thought. He always knows.
She considered deleting the message and pretending she had never seen it. But then she saw Ethan's small shoes by the door, his tiny jacket hanging on the hook. Her chest suddenly tightened.
She couldn't risk her son's life.
She typed back: I’ll be there.
By morning, Isabel
