The silence that followed the call did not fade quickly. It lingered in the room, heavy and unsettling, as though the voice on the other end had left something behind that could not simply be dismissed. Isabella remained where she stood, her fingers still wrapped tightly around her phone, her gaze distant and unfocused, as though she were still trapped in that moment.
Gabriel observed her carefully.
Intently.
There was nothing careless in the way his eyes studied her face. Every small detail registered. The slight tremble in her hands. The way her breathing had changed. The quiet fear she was trying so hard to conceal behind a composed expression.
He took a slow step closer, his presence steady and controlled.
“That was your father, wasn’t it?” he asked.
His voice was calm, but benea
