Burn Marks
482 Words
Elena left the conference room with the weight of the email in her palm, the afterimage of the photo still burning behind her eyes. The hallway was quiet, too quiet, the kind that made you aware of your own footsteps.
At the corner, Adrian appeared. His expression was neutral, practiced—but his eyes caught hers, searching.
“James?” he asked under his breath.
“Not him.” She slid her phone into his hand like it was contraband. “Look.”
He scanned the message, thumb hovering over the preview without opening it. His jaw locked. “This angle… inside the building.
Closer than before.”
Her pulse throbbed in her throat. “They’re here.”
Adrian’s gaze snapped up, sharp as glass. “You’re not walking home alone tonight.”
“Adrian—”
“No.” His voice was low, firm. “This isn’t about rules anymore. Someone wants you afraid.”
Her chest tightened. “They want us afraid.”
He tucked the phone back into her palm, his hand lingering just long enough to steady hers. “Then we don’t give them that satisfaction.”
Before she could answer, Sophie’s voice floated down the hall. “Still here so late?”
They broke apart like magnets forced the wrong way. Sophie approached, file in hand, smile as casual as a scarf tossed over a chair.
Her gaze flicked between them and landed on Elena.
“Conference Room D,” she said lightly. “Popular spot today.”
Elena forced her shoulders not to stiffen. “James wanted an update.”
Sophie tilted her head. “Funny. He wanted one from me too.” Her eyes gleamed. “But mine didn’t come with blinds drawn.”
The air thickened. Adrian’s tone was smooth, disinterested. “James runs tight syncs.”
“Mm.” Sophie tapped her folder against her thigh, gaze never leaving Elena. “Anyway—just a thought. Glass doesn’t hide much, does it?”
She turned, walked away, her heels clicking like punctuation.
Elena’s knees felt weak. Adrian caught her elbow briefly, his touch grounding. “She knows,” he whispered.
“She suspects,” Elena said, but the words tasted thin.
“No.” His voice was steady, final. “She knows.”
By the time Elena reached her apartment, she was shaking. She dropped her bag, slid down the wall, and buried her face in her hands. The photo replayed in her mind—blurry, yes, but undeniable. Sophie’s smile. Caroline’s trust. Adrian’s vow to take the fall.
Her phone buzzed. A new message.
You can’t keep this up forever.
No name. No attachment. Just words this time, bare and sharp.
She stared until the letters blurred, then typed back before she could think. What do you want?
Dots blinked. Vanished. Reappeared.
Her chest ached with each pause. Then, finally:
The truth.
- Writer
