Chapter 26

• “Is this some kind of joke?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, but the weight of the words lingered like a cold draft. The air in the room felt heavier, as though the walls themselves were holding their breath. I looked at Lydia, trying to process what she had just said.
• Her face was pale, her eyes wide, the storm of emotions swirling beneath her calm exterior. “You’re not going to believe this,” she murmured, her voice trembling slightly. “But I need you to listen, Ava. There’s something you need to know.”
• I could feel the tension knotting in my stomach, the kind that made my heart race and my palms clammy. This wasn’t the first time I had heard cryptic words from her. But something about her urgency this time—something about the look in her eyes—made my pulse quicken.