Stella's POV
I watched as Adrian scrambled out of bed, reaching for the phone that had fallen to the floor. He tried to speak into it, but the line had already gone dead. My body trembled as he rushed back to me, wrapping his strong arms around my shoulders.
"Stella, what did you hear?" Adrian's voice was gentle yet concerned, his eyes searching mine for answers.
"H-he laughed," I managed to say between sobs, my chest heaving with each breath. "I heard him laugh."
"Who, Stella? Do you know who it was?" Adrian's grip on me tightened slightly.
"It was R-Nathaniel." The name left a bitter taste in my mouth as panic constricted my throat. The mere mention of him sent waves of anxiety coursing through my body.
Adrian's face hardened with worry. "Stella, what did he say?"
"Nothing specific. Just like before—the breathing—but then he laughed." I shuddered at the memory. "I'd recognize that laugh anywhere. It's definitely Nathaniel, Adrian."
