Clara’s heart pounded so hard she could hear it in her ears.
Her eyes stayed glued to the dark screen of her phone after the video ended.
Bella.
There was no mistake. She could recognize her brother’s wife’s voice anywhere.
The words still echoed. “Marcus… don’t stop.”
Clara swallowed hard. Her fingers trembled around the phone. “What have you done, Bella?” she whispered.
She wanted to believe she had misunderstood. She wanted to believe the woman in that video wasn’t Bella. But she knew the truth.
The bathroom suddenly felt too small. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, trying to calm the shaking in her hands.
Then—
Knock! Knock!
“Clara?” Jake’s sleepy voice came from outside.
She gasped. Without wasting another second, she pressed the power button and locked the phone.
