My head was spinning, and each breath felt heavier than the last. I sank onto my bed, gripping the phone tightly, my fingers trembling as the silence on the other end stretched unbearably.

"Thalassa," Hadrian exhaled my name, his voice sending an unsettling ripple through my body.

"Why... why do you have Freya's phone?" My voice wavered, the question barely making it past my lips.

"She gave it to me. She said you’d pick up if you saw it was from her," he explained.

A storm of emotions swirled ...