Chapter 16 - THE CALL FROM THE PASTThree months later, the Brooklyn brownstone felt like a true home.
The living room was finally lived-in, complete with a soft blanket thrown casually over the sofa, toys scattered across the hardwood floor, and the smell of fresh coffee drifting from the kitchen every morning.
Chloe was now fourteen months old, taking her first wobbly steps across the rug while Grayson watched from the floor, cheering her on with uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
Amelia sat on the sofa, smiling as she watched her daughter tumble safely into Grayson’s arms.
Then, the landline phone on the kitchen counter rang.
It was an old-fashioned ring, sharp and intrusive. Amelia frowned. Nobody called the landline unless it was an emergency; everyone had their cell numbers.
Grayson kissed the top of Chloe’s head, handing her to Amelia before walking over to pick up the receiver.
"Maddox residence," Grayson said smoothly.
A heavy, static-filled silence hung on the line for several seconds. Then, a voice spoke—weak, raspy, and terrifyingly familiar.
“Hello, Gray.”
Grayson’s grip on the phone tightened so hard his knuckles turned white. All the warmth drained instantly from his face.
"Who is this?" Grayson demanded, though his voice already knew the answer.
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“Don't recognize your old man's voice after all these years?” the voice wheezed with a bitter, hollow laugh. “I heard you got rich, boy. Rich enough to buy skyscrapers and bail out your enemies. But you never came back for the man who taught you how to build it all.”
Hook: The ghost of Grayson’s abusive past returns from the dead, threatening to unravel the happy life he fought so hard to build.
