Madeline's POV
The ringing phone disturbed my sleep.
Liam's arm was still wrapped around me, warm and steady, as nothing in the world had shifted. For a moment, I stayed there. I didn't reach for the phone immediately.
I just listened to his breathing, slow and even against my back, and tried to hold onto that rhythm like it meant something permanent.
When I finally answered, I already knew. I didn't know what exactly. But I knew this wasn't a normal call. Not something that could be brushed aside or delayed for later. Lilith's voice confirmed it. There was no hesitation in it, no space for comfort or softening.
Just something firm, something already decided.
At first, I tried to follow her words, tried to understand her with all the reason and logic I had.
I believed that everything had an explanation if I just listened carefully enough. But this didn't fit anywhere. It didn't align with the version of my life I had built over the years.
