For a second, I just stared down at the glowing screen.Bella calling.My heart actually skipped a beat. I hadn’t realized how desperately, how profoundly I had been craving the sight of that name until right this second. It felt like a lifeline thrown directly into the middle of my chaotic, drowning reality.I snapped my head up to look at Dad. He had clearly noticed the name flashing across the glass, too, but he didn't make a move to intervene. He didn't say a word, he didn't reach out to snatch the device away, and he didn't signal the guards. He just stood there, silently watching.My fingers moved entirely on instinct before my brain could even catch up, swiping the screen to accept the call. I pressed the phone hard against my ear.“Bella?”“Elias?!”I closed my eyes, a heavy shuddering breath escaping me. God, her voice. She sounded furious, terrified, intensely relieved, and ready to physically fight someone all at the exact same time.“Oh my God, Elias! Where the hell are y
Last Updated : 2026-05-20 Read more