Zoe's POV
The phone's sharp ring sliced through the tension in my room, vibrating insistently on the bed between Seth and I.
My hand hovered over it, hesitating. This wasn't just any call. This was Zara Montclair. The woman whose name alone carried more weight than anything I had ever imagined for myself. I swallowed, trying to steady my racing heart, and finally someone picked.
A soft, professional female voice greeted me.
"Hello, this is Zara Montclair's office. How may I direct your call?"
I fumbled slightly, my fingers trembling around the receiver. "I… I'm Chloe… I mean, Chloe Hawkins—uh, I'm… calling regarding… uh" My words stumbled over themselves like tiny stones in my mouth.
"Please hold," the assistant's voice said.
Then there was silence.
Absolute, suffocating silence.
