Chapter 49

• Back on the beach, Ralph's worry deepened as the minutes stretched into an eternity. After about 15 minutes of waiting without any trace of her, he decided to go to the female’s restroom in search of her even though he knew it wasn’t right. Upon entering the restroom, it was eerily quiet, the only sound was the distant crash of waves against the shore. Panic clutched at his chest as he scanned the vacant room, finding only her abandoned phone on the floor, its screen shattered. His heart pounded as he picked it up, a premonition of impending trouble settling over him. Confusion and fear intertwined as he stared at the broken screen, contemplating his next move. Before he could gather his thoughts, a new message flashed across the damaged display.
• Unknown Number: you really thought you could protect her, didn’t you?
• A chill ran down his spine as he read the text, trembling hands gripping her damaged phone tightly, anger welling up within him. Frustration boiled over, and he couldn't contain it. His fist slammed against the bathroom table in anger as he began to cuss at himself for failing to protect her. his frustration peaked as he tried calling the unknown number repeatedly, each attempt met with the same maddening unreachability. He didn't need anyone to tell him that it was Boris playing his sadistic games again. He knew boris well enough to know that he would stop at nothing to destroy anything or anyone he cared about, it has always been that way ever since they were kids.