The Unwanted Wife's Return (Ex-Husband Wants Me Back) novel Chapter 189

HANNAH’S POV:

Something cold and uncomfortable curled in my stomach. An instinct I'd learned to trust.

"I'll be right back," I said, standing up from the table abruptly.

Elijah's hand immediately reached for mine, concern crossing his features. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I just need to take this call. It might be important." I tried to sound casual, but I could hear the slight tension in my own voice.

I stepped several feet away from the table, moving closer to the water where the sound of small waves would give me privacy. I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hello?" I said carefully.

There was chaos on the other end of the line. Multiple voices overlapping each other. Urgent shouts. And was that... sirens?

My breath caught in my throat. My heart started beating faster.

"Is this Hannah Martinez?" a man's voice asked urgently, professionally.

"Yes. Yes, this is her. Who is this?"

"This is Officer Reynolds with the fire department," he said, and my entire world tilted. "I'm calling regarding your fashion headquarters building downtown."

My heart slammed violently against my ribs. So hard it actually hurt.

"There's been a fire."

The words echoed in my head, bouncing around, not making sense.

Fire. Fire. Fire.

The world seemed to tilt sideways. The beach, the ocean, everything blurred.

"I... I'm sorry?" I whispered, even though I'd heard him perfectly. I just needed him to say it again. To confirm this was real.

"The building caught fire approximately fifteen minutes ago," Officer Reynolds continued, his voice professional but not unkind. "We're still actively fighting the blaze and assessing the full extent of the damage, but I'm required to notify you as the owner immediately."

I couldn't hear the rest of what he was saying. My ears were ringing. My vision was getting spotty around the edges.

Behind me, at the dinner table, laughter continued. Glasses clinked together. Someone turned the music up slightly.

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