WESLEY
The phone felt heavy in my hand after the call ended. For a second, everything in the apartment went completely silent. Then chaos broke out. The detectives moved immediately. One of them grabbed equipment to trace the number. Another asked me to play the recording again. My heart beat so hard and I could feel it. Natalia was alive. The kidnapper had her and our baby. The thought made my stomach turn.
I played the message on speaker. The distorted voice said the words again. “If you want to see Natalia alive, you will follow my instructions. No police. No tricks. We have her and the baby. Get ready for the ransom demand. You have twenty-four hours.” The line went dead after that. One detective shook his head. “Burner phone. Untraceable for now.”
Natalia’s father stood up quickly
