Chapter 235

The phone rang again. Her reflex was to flip it over — what if it was the cops? She didn't dare pick it up. In the silence of her office, that ringtone was downright creepy, like it was digging straight into Maria Lewis’ nerves. Every second felt like an hour. She bit her lip hard, heart pounding like crazy, and swiped the screen, bracing herself like she was walking to a guillotine. She didn’t even look at the caller ID. "What are you doing? Took you long enough to answer," came Isabella Lane's annoyed voice from the other end. That familiar tone instantly brought Maria a weird kind of comfort, as if her tight-strung nerves loosened just a bit. But it also triggered the fear and helplessness she'd been burying deep down. Falling from that wire, getting kidnapped by Rachel Collins—none of that scared her. But right now? Her chest was tight, her heartbeat all over the place, and the fear hit her like a truck. Tears silently slipped down her cheeks. She wanted to tell Isabella what was g