CHAPTER 2 — The Voice Behind the Phone
The phone rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Emma stood frozen beside the wall, her tiny fingers wrapped tightly around the receiver.
Behind her, Victor’s footsteps slowly approached.
Heavy.
Calm.
Certain.
He wasn’t running because he didn’t need to.
In his mind, there was nowhere for them to go.
Nobody knew what happened inside this house.
Nobody would believe Laura.
Nobody would challenge him.
“Put the phone down, Emma,” Victor said coldly.
The little girl didn’t move.
Her eyes filled with fear, but she remembered her mother’s words.
Don’t look back. Keep going.
The phone rang again.
Then suddenly…
Someone answered.
“Hello?”
Emma’s lips trembled.
For a second, she couldn’t speak.
Then she whispered the words she had practiced many times.
“Grandpa… it’s me.”
Silence.
On the other end of the line, the old man immediately recognized the voice.
“Emma?”
The fear in his voice changed everything.
“Where is your mother?”
Emma looked toward Laura.
Her mother was still on the floor, exhausted, but her eyes were locked on her daughter.
Laura silently mouthed:
Tell him.
Emma swallowed.
“Mommy is hurt.”
The room became completely silent.
Victor stopped walking.
For the first time that night…
He looked uncertain.
Because he knew exactly whose voice was coming through that phone.
Charles Whitmore.
Laura’s father.
A man whose influence reached places Victor could never touch.
Victor slowly extended his hand.
“Give me the phone.”
Emma stepped back.
“No.”
The single word was quiet.
But it carried more strength than Victor expected.
Then the voice on the phone spoke.
And this time…
Victor heard it clearly.
“Victor.”
His face changed.
“Charles,” Victor whispered.
“You have ten minutes to get away from my daughter and granddaughter before I make sure everyone knows what you’ve done.”
Victor’s jaw tightened.
“You’re making a mistake.”
May you like
“No,” Charles replied.
“You did.”
