From Shadow to sunshine

Chapter 4: The Unexpected Visitor

Emily sat at her desk, staring at the documents Rebecca had left, her heart racing. The only sound in the quiet office was the wall clock ticking away. She made an effort to concentrate, but her thoughts kept returning to Rebecca's icy stare.

Hello, Emily. Tommy's voice caused her to lose focus. Would you like to go get lunch?

Emily looked up, appreciative of the diversion. “Sure, let’s go. I should take a vacation.

Tommy looked worried, and Emily noticed it as they made their way to the café nearby. She said, "What is wrong?"

Tommy released a sigh. "At work today, I heard some strange things. There are rumors that Rebecca is preparing a major project.”

Emily felt her stomach turn. "Such as what?"

Tommy shook his head and said, "I do not know." But it seemed quite serious. You ought to exercise caution.

Emily's mind was racing when they arrived at the café. After placing their food order, they took a seat at a little table near the window. Emily shook her head and said, "Thanks for letting me know. I will keep a watch on things."

Emily saw a man in a dark suit sitting at a table across the room, observing them closely, as they were eating. Her gaze pierced his body, making it difficult for her to ignore him.

"Who is that man?" Tommy looked at the man and whispered.

Emily's heartbeat accelerated as she answered, "I do not know. However, I feel uneasy about him."

They swiftly completed their dinner and went back to the office. Rebecca's plans and the mysterious man consumed Emily's thoughts. She needed to know the truth about what was happening.

Emily decided to re-examine the paperwork Rebecca had left when she got back to her desk. She turned the pages and saw something out of the ordinary: a tiny folded note tucked in between the sheets. Her hands trembled while she opened it.

"This evening, meet me at the park. Goodnight. Rebecca.

Emily felt her heart race. And why did Rebecca want to see her at midnight? She looked at the time; the meeting was just a few hours away. She had to exercise caution.

Emily said as she made her way to his office, "Alex, I need to talk to you."

With a worried expression, Alex raised his head from his desk. "What is the issue?"

Emily gave the note to him. Rebecca gave me this. She asked me to meet this evening at the park.

As Alex read the note, his expression grew serious. This sounds unpleasant. I will assign someone to watch you closely.

Emily nodded. No, I can manage it. I must be aware of her plans.

Reluctantly, Alex nodded. "Take caution. Tell me if something does not seem right.”

Emily experienced mixed feelings of determination and anxiety as the evening drew near. Tommy offered to accompany her when she told him about the meeting, but she was set on going alone. "I must confront this on my own," she uttered.

Emily got to the park at midnight. The silence was uncomfortable, and the moonlight created strange shadows. She moved slowly, taking in the dim surroundings with her eyes. The only sound in the park was the rustle of leaves now and then.

“Rebecca?” Emily let out a quiet cry, her voice resonating through the silence.

Rebecca appeared out of the shadows, her face illuminated by the moon. "You arrived, Emily."

"What are you hoping to achieve?" Emily asked, attempting to maintain her composure.

Rebecca had a chilly smile. "I wanted to assess your level of determination. You realize how much of a bother you have been?”

Emily felt sick to her stomach. "What plans do you have?"

Rebecca had a malicious gleam in her eyes. "You will learn the truth in due time. However, I wanted to warn you a little bit first.

Rebecca's phone buzzed before Emily had a chance to respond. She glanced at it, startled and wide-eyed. "It was not what I expected."

"What is happening?" Emily insisted.

Rebecca turned to face Emily, seeing the trouble on her face. "The original plans have been modified. I have to go now. However, this is not over yet.

Rebecca quickly turned and left, vanishing into the darkness. Emily stood with her thoughts racing. How come Rebecca was so shaken by what she had seen?

Emily heard footsteps suddenly approaching from behind. Her heart pounded as she whirled around. Something dark moved towards her as it came out of the shadows.

"Who is present?" Emily cried out in a shaky voice.

The man she had seen at the café was revealed as the figure moved into the moonlight. He was dressed in a dark suit. "Emily, we need to talk."

Emily's terrified eyes grew wider. "Who are you?"

The man calmly but firmly said, "I am here to help you." David is my name. I have been monitoring Rebecca closely.

Emily's thoughts were racing. Why should I have faith in you?

David flashed his badge. "I work as a private detective. Rebecca has engaged in several significant criminal offenses. I was employed to investigate her activities.

Emily felt her heart skip a beat. "What is it that she wants with me?"

David became serious in his expression. "It is not good; I am not sure yet. You must exercise extreme caution. Rebecca is dangerous, and she does not operate by herself.”

Emily became more anxious. "What actions should I take?"

David looked about him, searching for any indications of danger.” For now, pay attention. Keep to yourself, and do not put your trust in just anyone. I shall update you.”

Emily's phone buzzed with a new message as David turned to go. Her blood ran cold as she quickly glanced at the screen.

Something is wrong with Alex. Visit his office right now.

As Emily read the message, her heart raced. How could this happen? She had to see Alex right away.

Emily said, "Thank you, David," in a forceful tone. "I have to leave."

David gave a nod. "Emily, be careful. I will communicate with you.*

Emily rushed mindlessly back to her car. Before it was too late, she needed to get to Alex's office. She could not get rid of the unsettling feeling that she was going to discover something shocking as she drove through the dimly lit streets.

Upon reaching the office, she noticed that the front door was ajar and the lights were off. Emily cautiously stepped inside, her heart pounding. All was eerily quiet in the office.

"Alex?" she yelled, her voice resonating through the empty room.

There was no reply. Emily made her way through the office, keeping an eye out for any indications of trouble. She froze in shock as soon as she arrived at Alex's office.

It was a messy room. Alex's desk was tipped over, and there were papers all over the place. When Emily noticed Alex's phone on the ground with a cracked screen, her heart fell.

"What is happening?" She uttered a tremulous whisper.

She heard a noise behind her all of a sudden. Her eyes grew wide with fear as she whirled around. A gloomy figure with a menacing grin on his face stood in the doorway.

With a low, threatening voice, the figure said, "You should not have come here, Emily."

Emily's thoughts were racing. What had become of Alex, and who was this person?

When the figure moved forward, Emily found herself gasping for air. She had to move quickly because the danger was getting closer.

Emily experienced an exhalation of resolve as the figure moved forward. No matter the cost, she had

to reveal Rebecca's true intentions and defend Alex. There was genuine danger and the stakes were higher than ever.