Chapter Four
1054 Words
The Warning
The stranger approached the counter with calm, measured steps.
Lila's hands tightened around the coffee mug she was cleaning.
Up close, he looked even more intimidating.
Sharp eyes.
A serious expression.
The kind of man who noticed things other people missed.
He stopped in front of her and pulled a card from his coat pocket.
"Daniel Reed," he said.
He placed the card on the counter.
Lila glanced down.
Private Investigator.
Her stomach dropped.
For a moment, she couldn't breathe.
She forced herself to remain calm.
"I'm sorry," she said. "Do I know you?"
Daniel watched her carefully.
"No."
"Then perhaps you're looking for someone else."
"I don't think so."
A dangerous silence settled between them.
Ethan, who was seated at the counter, noticed the tension immediately.
His eyes narrowed.
Daniel leaned forward slightly.
"I think we should talk somewhere private."
Lila's pulse quickened.
"About what?"
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Victoria Hart."
The world stopped.
The sound of cups clinking.
The music playing through the café speakers.
The conversations around them.
Everything disappeared.
There was only that name.
Victoria Hart.
Her aunt.
The woman she had spent years running from.
Lila felt her fingers tremble.
She quickly hid her hands behind the counter.
"You have the wrong person," she whispered.
Daniel sighed.
"No. I don't."
For a second, fear flashed across her face.
Daniel saw it.
So did Ethan.
The investigator reached into his coat and removed a photograph.
He placed it on the counter.
Lila stared at it.
The photo had been taken years ago.
A young girl smiling beside a wealthy couple.
Her parents.
And herself.
Her throat tightened.
"Your name is Lila Hart."
She looked away immediately.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Daniel's expression softened.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
Before he could continue, a chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Ethan stood up.
His jaw was tight.
His eyes locked on Daniel.
"She said you have the wrong person."
Daniel turned toward him.
"And you are?"
"Someone who doesn't like strangers harassing people."
Daniel almost smiled.
"Harassing?"
"You're making her uncomfortable."
Lila glanced at Ethan.
She didn't understand why he was defending her.
A few weeks ago, they could barely spend five minutes together without arguing.
Yet now he looked ready to throw Daniel out of the café.
Daniel studied him carefully.
"You care about her."
Ethan crossed his arms.
"None of your business."
Daniel looked back at Lila.
"Whether you admit it or not, they're still searching for you."
A cold chill ran through her body.
"They?"
"Victoria isn't the only one."
Lila's heart skipped a beat.
"What do you mean?"
Daniel's face darkened.
"There are people who believe your disappearance wasn't an accident."
The words sent fear racing through her veins.
Years ago, after her parents died in a suspicious car accident, the Hart family empire became a battlefield.
Money.
Power.
Control.
Everyone wanted a piece of it.
And Lila had become the biggest obstacle.
She remembered the threats.
The lies.
The betrayal.
That was why she left.
That was why she disappeared.
Because staying would've gotten her killed.
Daniel lowered his voice.
"Someone is looking for you."
Lila swallowed hard.
"Who?"
"I don't know yet."
That answer frightened her more than anything.
Ethan noticed the fear in her eyes.
The stubborn, fearless woman he knew suddenly looked vulnerable.
And he hated it.
"Maybe we should continue this conversation somewhere else," Daniel suggested.
"No."
Lila stepped back.
"No conversations."
"No explanations."
"No family."
She grabbed her bag from beneath the counter.
"I've spent years building a life here."
Daniel's expression softened.
"I know."
"Then leave."
"Lila—"
"Leave."
The café fell silent.
Every customer was watching.
Daniel realized there was nothing more he could say.
Not today.
He slowly picked up his card and placed it back on the counter.
"If you change your mind, call me."
Then he turned and walked away.
The bell above the door rang.
A moment later, he was gone.
Lila stared at the entrance.
Her heart refused to slow down.
She felt exposed.
Like the walls she had built around herself were beginning to c***k.
After several seconds, Ethan spoke.
"Who was that?"
She didn't answer.
"Lila."
Still nothing.
His voice softened.
"Talk to me."
She laughed bitterly.
"You wouldn't understand."
"Try me."
For a moment, she considered telling him everything.
The truth.
Her family.
Her identity.
The secrets she carried.
But she couldn't.
Trusting people had cost her everything once before.
She wasn't making the same mistake again.
"I'm fine."
Ethan sighed.
"That's a lie."
She glared at him.
"And you're annoying."
To her surprise, he smiled.
A small smile.
But it was enough.
For a brief second, the tension eased.
Then her phone vibrated.
A message appeared on the screen.
Unknown Number.
Her heart sank.
Slowly, she opened it.
The message contained only one sentence.
We know where you are.
The color drained from her face.
Ethan immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
Lila quickly locked the screen.
"Nothing."
"Lila."
"It's nothing."
But her voice was shaking.
Ethan's expression grew serious.
Something was very wrong.
And whatever it was, she wasn't telling him.
Meanwhile, across town, Daniel Reed sat inside his rental car.
Rain tapped against the windshield.
His phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Did you find her?" a woman's voice asked.
Daniel looked through the window toward the distant café.
"Yes."
The woman laughed softly.
Victoria Hart.
One of the most powerful women in the country.
"And?"
Daniel hesitated.
Something about this assignment didn't feel right.
Something felt dangerous.
"She's scared."
"Good."
Daniel frowned.
"Victoria—"
"Bring her home."
The coldness in her voice sent a chill through him.
Victoria ended the call.
Daniel stared at the dark screen.
For the first time since taking the case, he wondered if finding Lila Hart had been a mistake.
Because whoever was hunting her wasn't going to stop.
And if they reached Riverside first, Lila's peaceful life would be destroyed.
Back at the café, Lila stood by the window, watching the rain fall.
She remembered the text message.
The warning.
The fear.
The years she had spent hiding.
And for the first time since arriving in Riverside, she realized something terrifying.
Her secret wasn't safe anymore.
Someone knew exactly where she was.
And they were coming.
- Writer
