章 33: FAMILY FIRST...

EVELYN'S POV

I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles whitening as the tension in my chest refused to ease. My eyes flicked to the silent phone lying on the passenger seat, its screen as lifeless as my mood.

No call from Albert. No message from Lucas. The quiet was deafening. Maybe they were both busy, I told myself, but the excuse felt hollow. Albert was always thorough, always dependable. Lucas? Well, he was Lucas, unpredictable but rarely indifferent. 

What if they had forgotten? 

No, that was ridiculous. Still, the thought gnawed at me like a shadow creeping in, unbidden and unwelcome. My mind danced back to Lucas, to the cryptic hints of a surprise he was orchestrating. What could it be? The suspense was maddening, like trying to piece together a puzzle with missing edges.