CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY ONE: OLD WOUNDS

The phone rang, piercing the silence of Jonathan's empty house like a sharp blade. Startled, he glanced at the caller ID, his heart skipping a beat when he saw the name displayed on the screen – Ariana. His hand trembled slightly as he reached for the phone, a surge of apprehension coursing through his veins. He hadn't spoken to Ariana in years, not since the day she had walked out of their lives and left them alone to pick up the pieces. With a deep breath, Jonathan answered the call, his voice betraying none of the turmoil that churned inside him. "Hello?" "Jonathan," came the voice on the other end of the line, its tone soft and hesitant. "It's Ariana." The sound of her name sent a shiver down Jonathan's spine, memories of their tumultuous past flooding back with painful clarity. He remembered the bitter arguments, the shattered promises, the wounds that had never fully healed. And yet, beneath the surface, there lingered a flicker of curiosity – a longing to understand why she h