CHAPTER 002
1068 Words
EMMA’S POV
The silence was loud. Too loud. I could hear my own breathing, shallow and quick, filling the small apartment like a storm. The city lights flickered outside, but inside, it felt like darkness was swallowing me whole.
Why am I here? I asked myself again and again. Trapped in this cold place with secrets hanging over me like a noose. That note—the one that said Stay away from Logan'—played on repeat in my mind. Who sent it? What did they want?
I needed answers. But they felt farther away than ever.
My phone buzzed suddenly, sharp and loud enough to make me jump. I grabbed it with shaking hands. The screen showed a new message for a number I didn’t recognise.
Meet me. Alone. Or it’s over for you.
Alone. The word slammed into me like a warning. Who was this? What did they mean by “over for you”?
My thoughts were tangled. Was Logan behind this? No—his world was cold and dangerous, but this felt different. More personal.
Across the street, I caught movement—a figure leaning against the shadowed wall. The tattooed man from before, his eyes sharp and unblinking. Watching me.
A chill ran down my spine.
I swallowed hard and pulled the curtains shut. My fingers trembled as I paced, trying to make sense of everything. Think, Emma. Think!
Knock. Knock. Soft. Hesitant.
“Who’s there?” I whispered, my voice barely steady.
No answer. Just silence. Then another knock.
The door clicked. Someone was coming in.
I grabbed a heavy lamp from the nightstand, heart thudding so loud I thought it would burst.
“Wait!” A voice broke through the quiet. “Don’t hurt me.”
Chloe stepped inside, her eyes wide, nervous.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, lowering the lamp slowly.
“I came to check on you,” she said, glancing away.
“And the messages to Ian Matthews?” I held up my phone, the screen still glowing.
Her face tightened. “It’s complicated.”
“Isn’t it always?”
She laughed bitterly, but her eyes held a warning.
“You don’t trust Ian. Neither do I. But sometimes, you have to play the game to survive.”
Her words sank deep. Survival. That’s all I felt right now. Like I was drowning in a game I didn’t understand, and every move could be my last.
“I don’t even know who to trust anymore,” I admitted, voice cracking.
“Then start with yourself,” she said, stepping closer. Her hand brushed mine for a second. Electric. Dangerous.
I pulled away.
I wasn’t ready for this. Not now.
The elevator dinged outside, breaking the tension.
“I have to go,” Chloe said softly.
“Wait. What if it’s not safe?”
She smiled sadly. “Then we both have to be smart.”
I watched her leave, the door sliding shut with a soft click.
Alone again.
I looked at the phone, fingers itching to dig deeper. Could I hack into Logan’s system?
I sat at the desk, trying the password I’d heard him say once. My hands shook as I typed.
Access granted.
The files stared back at me, cold and secret.
No enemies. No threats from outside.
But one folder glowed: Inside Threats.
My breath caught.
I opened it slowly. I recognised names and recognised faces—people close to Logan.
Betrayal.
Suddenly, a sharp sound from the hallway made me jump.
The elevator lights flickered. Then a loud clang echoed down the hall—metal against metal.
Someone was tampering with it.
My heart hammered. Was this sabotage? Was I the target?
I ran to the door and tried calling for help.
“Help!”
Silence.
Then came the knock again—this time on my apartment door.
“Who’s there? What do you want?”
A low voice whispered back.
“You should have stayed away.”
The air felt colder and heavier.
Logan's secrets ensnared me, and a threat loomed dangerously close.
I had to get out.
But the power went out before I could move.
Darkness swallowed everything.
My phone buzzed once more, the screen lighting up the empty room.
We’re closer than you think.
The message burned in my mind as I whispered, “What do you want from me?”
No answer.
Only silence.
Only fear.
Everything was just beginning.
The city never really sleeps, but tonight it felt like it was holding its breath. I couldn’t stop replaying the last hour in my head. Chloe’s visit, the secret messages, the elevator sabotage—it was all connected. But how?
I remembered when Logan told me once, “Trust is a luxury no one here can afford.”
Funny, because I had no choice but to trust someone—or no one.
I tapped my phone again, heart skipping when I saw no new messages. Did that mean I was safe? Or was it just the calm before the storm?
My mind wandered to Chloe’s words about playing the game. Was I already a pawn? Or worse—already a target?
I paced, fingers clutching at my jacket, eyes darting to the dark corners of the room. Every shadow felt alive.
Suddenly, my thoughts spilt out in a rush—why was I here? Could I really get out? What if I never saw daylight again?
I have to be strong, I told myself. No one’s coming to save me.
A knock on the window made me jump. I spun around, but no one was there. Just the empty street below.
I closed my eyes, trying to steady my breath.
Then I heard it—a voice. Quiet, almost too soft to hear.
“Emma”.
I froze.
Was it real? Or just my mind playing tricks?
“Emma”, the voice came again, closer this time.
I turned slowly toward the door.
“Who’s there?”
No answer. Just the heavy silence.
The fear clawed inside me, sharp and raw.
But then a spark—hope? Or madness?
I whispered back, “Show yourself.”
Nothing.
Just the echo of my own voice.
I sank to the floor, heart pounding like a drum.
Was this the beginning of the end? Or the start of something I couldn’t yet see?
- Writer
