That single sentence from the woman on the phone sent a chill down Alex's spine, making his legs wobble. In a panic, he reached for the phone on his desk, fumbling to salvage the situation. "Sorry, I must've dialed the wrong number. This isn't Ashton's phone."

"Nice try!" The woman on the other end, Elaine, cut him off mid-sentence, her tone sharp and unforgiving.

Alex's face twitched nervously as he glanced at her, trying to keep his composure. After a brief ...