Chapter 9 — The Warning
360 Words
Maya stared at the first line of the letter, afraid to read any further.
“My dearest Maya,
If you are reading this, then the time has finally come for you to know the truth. I wish I could have told you everything myself, but keeping you safe meant keeping you in the dark.”
Her hands began to shake.
She continued reading.
“There are people who believe I took something that belonged to them. They have spent years looking for me, and now they may come looking for you.”
Maya stopped.
She looked around the café.
Suddenly, every person in the room seemed suspicious.
She lowered her voice and continued.
“The most important thing I left behind is not money. It is the truth about what happened to our family.”
Maya swallowed hard.
“What family secret?” she whispered.
The letter continued.
“You have always believed that your dreams were too big. I never believed that. I knew you were stronger than you realized. That is why I need you to make one final choice.”
Maya turned the page.
“There is a box hidden in the place where you spent your happiest childhood days. Inside it, you will find the answer to everything.”
Maya immediately knew the place.
Her grandmother’s old house.
She had not been there in years.
At the bottom of the letter was one final warning.
“Do not trust anyone who tells you that they know the whole story. There is someone close to you who has been hiding the truth.”
Maya’s heart raced.
Someone close to her.
She folded the letter and placed it back inside the envelope.
As she stood up, her phone suddenly vibrated.
A message appeared on the screen.
I told you not to go looking for answers.
Maya froze.
She looked toward the café window.
Across the street, a black car was parked with its engine running.
Someone was sitting inside.
Watching her.
Maya grabbed her bag and hurried toward the back exit.
Whatever her father had been protecting her from all those years ago, it had finally found her.
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