Adrian's jaw slowly fell open.
For several long seconds, he was too stunned to utter a single word.
"And somehow..." Ryley murmured from the other end of the line, his eyes remaining fixed on his own open palm. His complexion had grown noticeably paler than usual.
"I think I know who started this war for him."
Adrian's heart lurched.
"What?" he demanded, nearly shouting into the phone. "Who?"
The silence stretched just long enough for Adrian to realize Ryley wasn't refusing to answer out of secrecy alone.
It sounded as though the blond was wrestling with something inside himself, carefully weighing every word before daring to speak another.
A slow, shaky sigh finally broke the silence.
"Look..." Ryley said quietly, the urgency in his voice impossible to miss. "Right now, I need you to listen to me very carefully... and trust me, okay?"
Adrian tightened his grip around the phone without realizing it.
