Chapter 18

"Don't answer it," I beg him. "I have to," he says, pulling away from me. I mourn at the loss of contact. I sit back against the headboard.

The phone rings again, and I want to destroy that stupid device. How did I not notice the phone earlier? Whose phone is it? Probably Sia's. He answers the call, but he doesn't put it on the loudspeaker like I wanted him to. "Hello? Who is this?"

I initially wondered who is on the other side of the call. Could it be Anita? Sia's eyes flicker at me. My curiosity increased. Who is he talking to? His jaw clenched, and his face hardened. Whoever he was talking to had made him angry. "No. I won't let you talk to her."

Was it Lyles? Could he be asking after me? Hope swelled within me. Maybe there's a chance I can leave this place for good. "Stop trying to blackmail me with Anita. She won't listen to you."

It's certainly not An