Hailee's POV
My stomach dropped the moment the words left his mouth. Good and bad. I gripped the arms of the chair, my palms clammy, my throat dry. The broken SIM pieces still sat in my lap, mocking me, reminding me how fragile everything was. I swallowed hard. "Tell me the bad first." My voice shook, but I forced it out. Frederick's eyes lingered on me for a moment, his jaw tight. Then he exhaled slowly, his tone calm.
"The bad news is—Nathan is already suspicious. He called back. Again and again. I had my contact check the trail, and though the SIM is gone, he caught enough to know the call was real. He knows a child—your child—spoke to him."
The air left my lungs. My hands trembled as I pressed them to my face. "Moon above…" My chest squeezed so painfully it felt like my ribs might crack. "It's over. He'll come. He'll never stop now."
Frederick's voice cut through my panic, firm and steady. "Hailee. Listen to me."
