Chapter7: Someone is watching
1192 Words
Ava couldn't sleep.
Not after what had happened in the library.
Not after Ethan remembered the beach.
It had only been a fragment.
A tiny piece of a forgotten life.
But it was enough.
Enough to prove that his memories weren't gone forever.
Enough to give her hope.
For the first time in three years, the future didn't seem completely hopeless.
A small smile touched her lips as she lay in bed.
Maybe things were finally changing.
Maybe Ethan would remember.
Maybe—
A strange sound interrupted her thoughts.
A soft thud echoed somewhere in the mansion.
Ava sat upright.
The room fell silent again.
She frowned.
Perhaps it was nothing.
The mansion was enormous.
Old houses made strange noises at night.
Still...
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
She glanced at the clock.
2:17 a.m.
Everyone should have been asleep.
Slowly, Ava climbed out of bed.
She slipped on a robe and quietly opened her door.
The hallway was empty.
Dark.
Silent.
Only the moonlight illuminated the floor.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Another sound echoed from downstairs.
This time she was certain.
Someone was moving through the mansion.
Ava immediately headed toward the staircase.
Step by step, she descended into darkness.
The grand hallway appeared deserted.
But then she noticed something.
A door.
Open.
The library.
Her stomach dropped.
She remembered leaving the album there.
The album.
The proof.
The memories.
Without thinking, Ava ran.
She pushed open the library door.
The lights remained off.
The room looked normal.
At first.
Then she saw it.
The table.
Empty.
The album was gone.
"No."
Ava rushed forward.
Her hands searched everywhere.
The shelves.
The desk.
The drawers.
Nothing.
The album had disappeared.
Panic exploded inside her chest.
Someone had taken it.
Someone had entered the mansion.
Someone knew exactly what they were looking for.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her.
Ava spun around.
Ethan stood in the doorway.
His expression immediately hardened when he saw her.
"Ava?"
"The album."
"What?"
"It's gone."
His eyes narrowed.
"What are you talking about?"
"The photo album."
Ava pointed toward the empty table.
"It was right here."
Ethan entered the room.
His gaze moved across the library.
Then toward the table.
The realization hit him instantly.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
"Who else knew about it?"
Ava swallowed.
"Nobody."
"Think carefully."
"I am."
Ethan's jaw tightened.
The mansion had one of the best security systems in the city.
Breaking inside shouldn't have been possible.
Unless...
The thief already had access.
The thought immediately disturbed him.
Ava looked pale.
Genuinely frightened.
And for reasons he couldn't explain, Ethan hated seeing her like that.
"Stay here."
"What?"
"I'm checking the security footage."
Ava quickly followed him.
"I'm coming with you."
"No."
"Why not?"
Ethan stopped.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, neither spoke.
Then Ethan sighed.
"Fine."
---
Twenty minutes later, they sat inside the security room.
Several monitors displayed recordings from around the estate.
The head of security looked nervous.
Very nervous.
Ethan crossed his arms.
"Show me everything between midnight and three a.m."
The man nodded immediately.
The footage began playing.
Hour after hour.
Hallway after hallway.
Nothing.
No intruders.
No suspicious activity.
Nothing at all.
Then Ava noticed something.
"Stop."
The security guard froze.
"What?"
"There."
She pointed at the screen.
A shadow.
A brief movement near the library entrance.
The footage zoomed in.
A man wearing black clothing.
A face hidden beneath a cap.
The figure moved quickly.
Purposefully.
Toward the library.
Then the screen suddenly glitched.
Static.
Distortion.
The image disappeared completely.
Several seconds later, the footage resumed.
The intruder was gone.
So was the album.
Silence filled the room.
The security chief looked horrified.
"Our system was hacked."
Ethan's expression darkened.
This wasn't random.
This wasn't ordinary theft.
Someone had targeted the album specifically.
Someone wanted those photographs.
And that meant the photographs mattered.
A lot.
---
Later that afternoon, Ava sat alone in a café near downtown.
Her thoughts refused to settle.
The theft changed everything.
Until now, she had hoped Ethan's disappearance was simply a tragic accident.
But if someone was stealing evidence...
Then someone was hiding something.
The possibility terrified her.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown number.
Ava frowned.
Then answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a voice finally emerged.
Distorted.
Cold.
Dangerous.
"Stop looking."
Ava froze.
"What?"
"You heard me."
Fear crept into her chest.
"Who is this?"
The voice ignored the question.
"Stop searching for answers."
Ava gripped the phone tighter.
"What do you mean?"
A low chuckle echoed through the line.
Then came the words that made her blood run cold.
"Your husband should have died three years ago."
The line disconnected.
Ava stared at the phone.
Unable to breathe.
Unable to think.
Her hands trembled violently.
The voice.
The threat.
The certainty.
It could only mean one thing.
Ethan's crash wasn't an accident.
Someone had wanted him dead.
---
That evening, Ava arrived back at the mansion.
She found Ethan working inside his office.
The moment he saw her face, he knew something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Ava closed the door behind her.
Then told him everything.
The call.
The warning.
Every word.
Every detail.
As she spoke, Ethan's expression grew darker.
Colder.
More dangerous.
When she finished, silence filled the room.
Finally, Ethan stood.
His eyes burned with determination.
"They threatened you."
Ava nodded.
"Because of me."
The realization settled heavily between them.
For years Ethan had accepted the official story.
A tragic accident.
Bad weather.
Unfortunate circumstances.
Now...
He wasn't so sure.
Ava hesitated.
"Ethan."
"What?"
"What if someone caused the crash?"
His gaze met hers.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Ethan slowly opened a drawer.
From inside, he removed a file.
A thick file.
Old.
Worn.
Ava frowned.
"What is that?"
"The original crash investigation."
Her eyes widened.
"You have it?"
"I never stopped looking for answers."
The confession surprised even him.
For years, he had searched quietly.
Secretly.
Always feeling that something about the accident didn't make sense.
Now he finally understood why.
Because something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Ethan placed the file on the desk.
Then looked directly at Ava.
"If someone tried to kill me..."
His voice became deadly calm.
"We're going to find them."
Ava's heart pounded.
For the first time since his return, they weren't standing on opposite sides anymore.
They were working together.
A team.
Just like before.
Even if Ethan couldn't remember it.
---
Far away from the city, inside a dark office, a man sat alone.
The stolen photo album rested on his desk.
Slowly, he opened it.
His gaze settled on a photograph of Ethan and Ava smiling together.
For a moment, the room remained silent.
Then he ripped the photograph in half.
A cruel smile appeared on his face.
"So the memories are returning."
His fingers drummed against the desk.
"Interesting."
The smile widened.
"Let's see how long they survive."
He reached for his phone.
A number was dialed.
The call connected immediately.
"Sir?"
The man leaned back.
His eyes turned cold.
"Phase two begins tonight."
The line disconnected.
And somewhere in the city...
A storm was already beginning to gather.
- Writer
