Chapter 289
~Octavia~
I didn't have the capacity to process his childhood trauma. Every second was an agony I could physically feel in my chest, a phantom, aching pull in my arms where my newborn daughter should have been.
My phone notification went off signaling a message dropped.
I stepped away from Franklin's side, my fingers trembling as I picked up the device. The notification on the lock screen displayed no name, no contact info.
I swiped the screen, my heart hammering a frantic, agonizing rhythm against my ribs.
The message contained a small, five-second media file followed by a single block of text. My thumb hovered over the play button, a sickening, icy dread paralyzing my throat. I pressed it.
The video loaded instantly. My breath caught in my throat. A sharp, choked gasp before it could leave my lips.
It was Lael.
