Aria couldn't breathe. The phone in her hand glowed like it was burning her. The last words on the screen, Only I can set you free, wouldn't leave her head.
Her fingers shook. She dropped the phone again, letting it slide across the bed. She pressed both hands against her chest, trying to steady her racing heart.
This wasn't just Sebastian anymore. This wasn't just Lorenzo. Someone else had stepped into the war. Someone who saw her, who watched her, who dared to reach into her life.
Her whole body felt cold.
She whispered, "Why me?"
The house was too big, too quiet. She wished she could scream and fill the silence, but her throat was tight.
Downstairs, the storm hadn't calmed either. Sebastian and Lorenzo stood near the edge of the yard, eyes sharp, scanning the trees. Both men felt it. Something was out there. Someone.
Sebastian's voice was sharp, low. "Come out. Face me like a man."
The wind answered, rustling the leaves. No one stepped forward.
