the first warning
822 Words
Silent Cinderella
Chapter Four
The First Warning
Selene couldn't sleep.
The small piece of paper lay on her desk beside her father's photograph.
"If you want to know the truth about your father's death... trust no one."
She read the sentence over and over again.
Was it a joke?
A threat?
Or had her father not died the way everyone had claimed?
She squeezed her eyes shut.
The memories returned.
The police.
The ambulance.
The closed coffin.
No one had allowed her to see her father's face one last time.
They had told her the accident had been too severe.
She had been only seventeen years old and too heartbroken to ask any questions.
But now...
Every one of those memories suddenly felt strange.
The following morning...
Selene woke before sunrise.
She put on a simple white dress and carefully braided her hair.
As usual, her mother had already left for the factory, leaving behind a small handwritten note on the kitchen table.
"Breakfast is in the refrigerator. Don't forget—you are stronger than you think. I love you."
A gentle smile appeared on Selene's face.
She folded the note carefully and placed it inside her handbag.
Those little messages were the only thing that gave her strength each morning.
At the same time...
Inside the headquarters of the Consels Group...
William stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his father's office.
The door opened.
A man in his fifties entered, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.
Richard Consels.
A businessman feared by the media and respected throughout the corporate world.
He looked at his son without sitting down.
"I heard you've become the talk of the university."
William answered calmly.
"It's just a photograph."
Richard slowly walked closer.
"In our world..."
"There is no such thing as just a photograph."
He placed a tablet on the desk.
Its screen displayed dozens of local news websites.
Every headline said the same thing.
"Consels Heir Seen with Mystery Girl."
Richard spoke coldly.
"The company's stock can be affected by any rumor."
"Choose your company wisely."
William met his father's eyes.
"I never said she was my friend."
A nearly invisible smile crossed Richard's face.
"Then keep her away from you."
Without another word, he left the office.
But his warning remained in William's mind.
At the university...
The first lecture of the day had begun.
Professor Henry Morris, one of the most respected constitutional law professors in the country, entered the classroom.
He was known for his strict discipline.
Excuses meant nothing to him.
Standing before the students, he said,
"The law does not favor the rich..."
"Nor does it show mercy to the poor."
Silence filled the room.
Then he continued,
"Who can explain the difference between law and justice?"
Every student lowered their eyes.
Except one.
A single hand rose from the back of the classroom.
Selene's.
Several students looked at her in surprise.
The professor smiled.
"Go ahead."
Selene stood confidently.
"Law is what human beings write."
"Justice is what human beings seek."
"Sometimes they walk side by side."
"And sometimes..."
"They become enemies."
The classroom fell completely silent.
For the first time since entering the room, Professor Morris smiled.
"Excellent answer."
"What is your name?"
"Selene Anderson."
He wrote her name in his notebook.
The students could hardly believe it.
The same girl they had laughed at yesterday...
Had just given the best answer in the room.
William found himself unable to look away from her.
When the lecture ended...
Selene was gathering her books when Professor Morris approached her.
"Miss Anderson."
She turned immediately.
"Yes, Professor?"
He smiled warmly.
"Have you ever considered joining the university's legal debate team?"
Her eyes widened.
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Talent like yours shouldn't remain hidden inside a classroom."
Before she could answer...
Victoria walked past the classroom door.
She had heard every single word.
Her jaw tightened.
She whispered to herself,
"Now I understand..."
"It isn't her clothes that make her dangerous."
"It's her mind."
After classes...
Selene was walking toward the bus stop.
Suddenly...
A black luxury sedan pulled over beside the sidewalk.
The tinted window slowly rolled down.
It was the same man carrying the brown file.
He offered her a calm smile.
"Selene Anderson?"
She instinctively stepped back.
"Yes... Who are you?"
He quickly showed her an identification card, but she couldn't read it clearly.
In a low voice, he said,
"I was a friend of your father's."
Her heartbeat quickened.
"I know you received a message yesterday."
She froze.
"How do you know that?"
The man cautiously glanced around.
Then he lowered his voice even further.
"Because the person who left that message..."
"Was supposed to have died five years ago."
At that exact moment...
Another black car came speeding toward the sidewalk.
The man shouted,
"Get down!"
Before Selene could understand what was happening...
The speeding vehicle charged straight toward them.
End of Chapter Four
- Writer
