CHAPTER 7 DINNER WITH SHADOWS
243 Words
The restaurant was warm and fragrant, candles flickering across polished wood. Hugo insisted on seating Erica at a corner table, near the window.
“So,” he said, leaning back, “why the mysterious night outing?”
Erica forced a smile. “Just… wanted to get some fresh air.” Hugo raised an eyebrow. “And yet, here you are, meeting someone at night. Secrets make you look… intriguing.”
Erica froze slightly. Someone at the other end of the restaurant caught her attention: the shadow of Adrian lingering outside the glass, watching.
Before she could react, Hugo leaned in, lowering his voice. “You know… I don’t trust him. That man has his claws in everything and everyone.”
Erica’s heart skipped. “Hugo, I”
But he cut her off. “No, let me finish. You think he’s protecting you. You think he cares. But he’s playing a game. And you… you might already be the pawn.”
Her phone buzzed again. Another message from the unknown number: Trust no one. Not even him.
Erica’s eyes darted to Hugo. “You… you know about him?”
Hugo’s lips curled into a faint smile. “I’ve seen what he does. And I’ve seen what he leaves behind.”
Her stomach churned. Questions collided with fear, and yet… a flicker of determination ignited.
She realized something crucial: the night was just beginning, and nothing or no one was as simple as they seemed.
- Writer
