Page 239 of Before Dawn

“What happened?” she asked softly, stroking my hair with a tenderness that only made me ache more.

Through my tears, I told her everything—Joshua’s text, the anxiety clawing at my chest. Each word felt like a weight, but sharing it with her eased the burden, even if just for a moment.

Her fingers continued their soothing motion, even as my insides twisted with dread. “I’m calling Dillon. I need answers.”

“Az—” I tried to protest, but she’d already pressed the call button, jaw clenched in anger.

“Tell me what the hell is going on!” Azzaria snapped as soon as Dillon picked up.

I heard his deep sigh through the speaker. “We’re handling something. Just stay with Abigail until tomorrow, please.”

Azzaria wasn’t having it. “Dillon Timothy Xander,” she growled.

His tone shifted. “Are you alone?”

Before I could say anything, she answered, “Are you trying to upset your pregnant fiancée?”

“Prec—”

“Tell me what happened,” she pressed, her voice dangerously calm.

Anothersigh. “Abigail’s been struggling the past couple of weeks, and it’s been weighing on Mikkel. I don’t know the full details, but he was at his office earlier when her ex—”

My heart plummeted.

“What?” Azzaria’s voice sharpened with alarm.

“Joshua,” Dillon continued. “He sent Mikkel an envelope. A sex tape, disgusting notes, explicit pictures.”

The world tilted. My chest tightened. The air felt thick, suffocating.

Fuck.

I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.

“Precious?” Dillon’s voice cut through the fog. “You there?”

“I’m here,” she choked out. “Where are you? Where’s Mikkel?”

“Malen,” Dillon murmured.

“Dill—” Azzaria started, but he cut her off.

“I know,” he said, his voice weighted with something deeper.

Azzaria exhaled, shoulders sagging. “I was going to tell you to make sure Joshua gets what he deserves. I’ll stay with Abigail.”

“Ti amo,196” Dillon’s voice softened.

“I love you too,” she murmured.

Silence settled between us as the call ended, but the weight of it lingered. My thoughts churned, restless, like an unfinished puzzle with missing pieces.

The words stuck in my head.Malen.

“What’s Malen?”

Azzaria turned, her gaze stormy but her voice steady. “Abigail, let them handle it.”

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