Brandon's POV
What in the world does Elizabeth want?
Why is she reaching out now, after everything?
I stared at the message again, my chest tightening. We need to talk. It's about your father.
My pulse thudded in my ears. I thought I'd made it clear that she should never speak to me again. I'd burned that bridge, sealed it, and thrown the ashes into the river. So why now? Maybe that short meeting at the ad shoot messed with her head — made her think we were back on talking terms. We weren't. We'd never be.
I scrolled up the message again, just to be sure I hadn't imagined it. The words sat there, bold and heavy, like they were daring me to answer.
My head turned slightly, eyes darting over my shoulder — instinctively checking if anyone had seen the look on my face. That's when Madison's voice sliced through the fog.
"Is everything alright?"
I almost jumped. "Oh — yeah," I lied, pocketing my phone. "Just some message. Nothing important."
