Both of them have blocked us.” The room fell silent. Three phones sat on the coffee table, each one displaying the same rejection. Clara’s chest tightened as though the air itself had turned against her. “They’ve shut us all out,” she whispered. “Together.” Phoebe leaned closer, her voice tight with disbelief. “That’s deliberate. They don’t want you—or anyone—to reach them.”
The words sent a shiver through the room, chilling Clara more than the silence that followed. Clara sat frozen, staring at the phones on the table as though they might suddenly light up with an explanation. But nothing came. The silence only grew heavier, pressing into every corner of the room. Finally, Phoebe reached for her own phone.