The sudden ringtone jolted Celestia back to reality. Her dazed eyes landed on Dexter across the table. She swallowed hard and gave a small nod.
"Yeah," she muttered before hanging up without hesitation. Guilt flashed in her eyes, but she forced a smile. "Just a random number."
Dexter might've believed her-until he saw how flustered she was tucking her phone away. That told him all he needed to know. Still, he didn't say a word.
She'd barely dropped the phone into her bag when it rang again. The persistent ringtone made it clear-whoever it was, they weren't giving up. Each ring came sharper, more impatient.
Celestia gave Dexter an awkward look before cutting the call again. This time, she pulled the battery out altogether.
Dexter watched her tense movements in silence, lips
