Ayla’s POV
I stared at my phone screen, my heart pounding. "Arkon? Arkon!"
Nothing. The call had completely dropped. I tried calling back, but there was no signal at all now. The bars on my phone showed zero.
My hands were shaking as I walked back into the dining hall. The warmth and noise hit me all at once, making my head spin. I scanned the room for Sienna and found her still at our table, but Derek was gone.
She looked up as I approached, her expression immediately concerned. "Hey, what's wrong? You look pale."
I sat down and pulled out my phone, typing quickly: "I talked to Arkon. He's worried about this trip. Something about the approvals not checking out."
Sienna read the message and her face softened into a gentle smile. "Ayla, he's just being overprotective again. You know
