A Cold Chill

Swift Family's Residence

Stella woke with a splitting headache, the events of the previous evening weighing heavily on her mind.

Her hand fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, and her bleary eyes squinted at the screen as she checked for any missed calls or messages from Olivia. But she found nothing.

Her heart sank as unease crept in. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Stella dialled Olivia's number again. Unlike the previous day, the call didn't even ring—it went straight to an error tone.

"What now?" Stella hissed through gritted teeth, gripping the phone tighter. She threw off the duvet and rose to her feet, pacing the room before deciding to call Owen, thinking that Olivia was avoiding her calls again like that last time.

The phone rang several times before Owen answered, his tone casual and detached.

"Hello," he greeted, lacking the respect Stella expected from her son-in-law which shouldn't be a surprise.