Aspen was in disbelief. After all, she thought Gordon was supposed to have already killed Andrew. Hence, there was no way Andrew could still be alive.

Aspen's mind spiraled into chaos. Her breathing grew ragged, and her thoughts twisted in every possible direction. She even wondered if it were Andrew's ghost, a vengeful spirit coming back from the grave.

Her trembling fingers fumbled for her phone as dread coiled tighter around her chest. She quickly called Gordon's number, only to find that his phone had been turned off.

Aspen's heart skipped a beat. She already knew it would not go through, but she kept dialing anyway—again and again.

She tried more than a dozen times, and each time, she was met with the same automated response that the number was unavailable.

Frustration exploded within her, and she screamed, "Gordon! What the hell is going on? Are you dead or alive? Can't you give me a damn sign?"

The silence that followed was deafening. Nothing about this made sense. A