Chapter 37. No!

Shimma’s POV

The silence in my room felt suffocating as I sat on my bed, staring at the phone my father had left behind. My heart raced with fear about not knowing where Mr. Mattias was or whether he was safe after his escape. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was losing something precious—something I had just begun to understand.

I picked up my phone, running my fingers over the screen as if it might magically connect me to him. The thought of my father’s words echoed in my mind: “It wouldn’t work.” But how could he know what was in my heart?

Just then, my phone began buzzing against my palm. I frowned, staring at the caller ID that read “Private Number.” I hesitated, but my instincts urged me to answer.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end sent a jolt of electricity through me. My