The screen slowly dimmed.
But Thalia didn't move.
Her fingers were still wrapped tightly around her phone, still trying to process everything she just heard.
'Erase the trace…'
Her breath came out slow and uneven.
"He knows," she whispered under her breath. "He definitely knows."
A knock came from outside.
"Mrs. Carter? Do you need help with the dress?"
Thalia blinked. The voice pulled her back.
"No," she answered quickly, her tone steady but her grip on the phone didn't loosen. "I'm fine."
Silence returned.
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
'This was last night… that means it was before I compelled him,' she thought, trying to convince herself.
Trying hard to believe that her compulsion had worked.
She took a deep breath, then slipped out of her clothes and put on the white dress she had brought in earlier.
"Okay… calm down," she muttered, staring at her reflection.
She pointed at herself in the mirror.
