Chapter 55 Sebastian
SEBASTIAN
I’m already heading to my car, my phone in my hand. Ivy should be at her dad’s now, having a normal, uneventful lunch.
I tell myself that as I dial, even though my gut says otherwise.
It rings.
Once.
Twice.
A third time.
Then it goes to voicemail.
I blow out a breath, trying to remain logical. She’s probably washing her hands. Setting food out. Teasing her dad about his stalker tendencies.
I hang up without leaving a message.
The feeling won’t leave. Something feels... wrong.
I check the time.
Two minutes pass before I call again.
It rings three times.
On the fourth ring, her voicemail picks up again.
My chest tightens. Not from panic, but a low-grade awareness, like a pressure change before a storm.
I open our text thread.
Me: Everything okay?
I hit send.
And wait.
It’s delivered.
Time creeps by.
No response.
An image of the girl in the file flashes through my mind. The escalation timeline from the file rolls through my brain.
Silas has a history. What if he’s doing it again?
My jaw tightens.
I call again.
Still nothing.
I try her driver next. The call goes straight to voicemail.
That sharpens the pressure in my chest into something else.
I stop at the exit, staring out through the window at the street without seeing it. My reflection stares back at me—still, composed, my eyes too alert.
I dial Ivy again.
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
It goes to voicemail.
“Ivy,” I say after the beep, forcing my voice steady. “Call me back. Now.”
I hang up and immediately dial her father.
He answers on the second ring. “Sebastian?”
“Have you seen Ivy?” I ask.
There’s a pause as papers rustle.
“No. She’s waiting for me. A meeting ran late. Why?”
Something inside me goes cold.
“She’s not answering my calls or texts,” I say.
There’s a longer pause.
“She should be there,” he says slowly. “I texted her ten minutes ago.”
I remain silent.
I don’t tell him about the file. Or Silas’s pattern. Or the way my body already knows that something’s wrong.
“I’m going to check on her,” I say instead.
“Sebastian—”
“I’ll call you,” I promise, ending the call. I’m already shoving through the door and heading to my car.
My phone buzzes.
For half a second, relief hits hard enough to make my knees weak.
Until I look at the screen.
Unknown Number.
I answer without hesitation. “Hello.”
There’s breathing on the line, then a low, familiar voice.
“Hello, Sebastian,” Silas says calmly.
The world narrows to a single point.
“Where is she?” I ask, my voice deadly.
He laughs softly. “She’s in good hands.” He pauses for a moment. “Mine.”
And then the line goes dead.
I stare at it for a moment, even though I know he’s gone.
I freeze, my thoughts spiraling.
I’m going to lose someone else I love.
My jaw clenches so hard I’m surprised I don’t hear a molar break.
No. Don’t give in to the helplessness.
Find her!
The unease is gone now, replaced by something far worse. Desperation.
I need to get to her before he finishes what he started.