Alice pov
My phone buzzed incessantly on her nightstand, the vibration echoing through the otherwise silent room. I groggily reached for it, squinting at the screen. A notification flashed—a video message from an unknown number. Anxiety was gnawning at the pitch of my stomach, My heart skipped a beat and a cold dread creeping up my spine. With trembling fingers, I opened the message.
The video began with a shaky, dimly lit scene. It took a moment for me to recognize the setting—a basement, perhaps, with bare concrete walls and a single dangling lightbulb casting harsh shadows. My breath caught in my throat as the camera focused, revealing a figure bound to a chair.
It was my little brother.
Dad was right.
“Paolo!” I gasped, my voice barely above a whisper. My younger brother looked
