JAKE

“He what?”, I said, trying to reduce my voice as I didn't want to alert Isabelle's and Claire's attention.

I gripped the phone tighter in anger, my knuckles whitening

Cody’s voice came through the line, steady but laced with something I couldn’t quite place.

Worry? Fear?

“Yeah, Jake. Nicholas stopped by my office. Just showed up unannounced and he somehow connected the dots and found out we were friends.”

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. “What did he say?”

There was a pause on the other end, brief but heavy.

“He told me to tell you that you’ve got a lot to lose if you don’t listen to...