The next morning came cold and gray, the sky heavy with the color of ash. Aria hadn't slept a second. The phone still sat on her nightstand, screen cracked from when she'd dropped it the night before. The last message, "You built your empire, Aria. Now let's see if you can keep it."…still glowed faintly, taunting her.
She pressed her palms to her face, trying to push away the fear that kept crawling back into her chest. She was stronger now. She couldn't go back to being the scared woman who cried in the dark. Not anymore.
Elias knocked lightly before entering. He looked exhausted too. "I traced the number," he said quietly, handing her a printed report. "It's encrypted. Whoever sent the message used a relay system. Could be anyone with resources."
Aria took the paper, scanning it. Her hand trembled slightly, but she masked it by setting the sheet down on the glass table. "So it's someone rich. That narrows it down to half the city."