The apartment was cloaked in silence, the only sound being Emma's muffled sobs as she collapsed onto her couch. Her emotions had finally caught up with her, and she couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They streamed down her cheeks unchecked, a testament to the pain and betrayal she felt.
Beside her, her phone buzzed insistently on the coffee table. It was her father, Michael, calling repeatedly, the calls like echoes of a past that now seemed irretrievably shattered. At first, she ignored them, letting them go to voicemail. But when he dialed once more, her sense of resignation gave way to reluctant acceptance. Emma took the call, her voice a tremulous whisper as she answered, "What is it, Dad?"
Michael's voice on the other end was laced with desperation, the weight of his actions bearing down upon him. "Emma, we need to talk. Please tell me where you are."
