#Chapter 77: The Waiting Game

Aurora POV I get another chance to text Stefano an hour later to update him about Gianna’s plan to distract Alek long enough for him to send reinforcements our way. The message is short and sweet, giving him enough precise details to let him know we’re still alive and to hurry before things get ugly. After hitting send, all I can do is wait. Every passing second is a weight pressing down on my chest. I stare at the burner phone’s screen, watching the digital clock tick minute after minute, hoping, praying, pleading that he’s somewhere with his phone in hand. Five minutes go by. Then ten. Nothing. I pace the length of the bathroom, biting down hard on the inside of my cheek to keep from unraveling. Every few seconds I glance back at the phone, but it remains quiet in my hand. What if he doesn’t check it? What if he sees it too late? What if my father tells him no and to let us deal with our own mess? By the time the twentieth minute passes, my stomach is in knots. I