THE ADDRESS
1274 Words
Chapter Four
I didn’t give myself time to think too much about it
If I did, I might talk myself out of going
And right now, that felt worse than the risk
The message was still open on my phone, the address staring back at me like a challenge I couldn’t ignore
If you want the truth, come alone
My fingers tightened slightly around the device
“Fine,” I muttered under my breath, already reaching for my bag again
Whoever sent that message knew something
Something real
Something Ethan didn’t want me to find out
And that alone was enough
The city looked different at night from the back seat of a taxi
Quieter, but not calm
The kind of quiet that made you notice things you would normally ignore
Every passing car
Every shadow
Every turn
I found myself checking the rearview mirror more than once, half expecting to see someone following
But nothing stood out
Just normal traffic
Normal people
Normal life
Meanwhile, mine felt like it had shifted into something I didn’t recognize anymore
“Are you sure this is the place?” the driver asked, slowing down slightly
I looked up
The building in front of us didn’t look like anything special
Old
Worn
Half the lights were out
Definitely not somewhere Ethan Blackwood would ever step into
“Yeah,” I said quietly
“This is fine”
He hesitated for a second, like he wanted to say something else, then just nodded
“Okay”
I paid him quickly and stepped out
The air felt heavier here
Thicker
Like it carried something I couldn’t quite explain
I stood there for a moment, staring up at the building, a strange feeling settling in my chest
This was it
No turning back now
I pushed the door open and stepped inside
The hallway smelled faintly of dust and something older, something that had been there for too long
My footsteps echoed softly as I walked further in
There was no receptionist
No security
Nothing
Just silence
I checked my phone again
The message hadn’t changed
No new instructions
Just the address
“Great,” I murmured
“So I’m just supposed to guess now”
As if on cue, a faint sound came from somewhere deeper inside the building
A door closing
My head turned instantly
There
At the end of the hallway
A narrow staircase leading up
The light above it flickered slightly
Not exactly comforting
But I moved anyway
Each step felt heavier than the last as I climbed, my senses sharper now, picking up every small sound
A faint creak
A distant movement
My own breathing
By the time I reached the second floor, my heart was already beating faster
The hallway here was even quieter
Only one door at the end
Slightly open
A thin line of light spilling out
That had to be it
I walked toward it slowly, my steps careful, my mind running through a hundred different possibilities
Who was inside
What they wanted
Whether this was a mistake
I stopped just outside the door
For a second, I just stood there
Listening
Nothing
Then I pushed it open
The room inside was small
Bare
Just a table, a chair, and a single lamp casting a soft yellow glow
And someone sitting there
A man
He looked up the moment I stepped in
His expression unreadable at first, then something like relief crossed his face
“You came”
His voice was low, steady
Like he had been waiting for this
“Who are you” I asked immediately, not bothering with anything else
He gestured slightly toward the chair opposite him
“Sit”
“I’ll stand”
A small smile touched his lips, like he expected that answer
“Fair enough”
He leaned back slightly, studying me in a way that made me uncomfortable
Not like Ethan
Not cold
But observant
Too observant
“You’ve changed,” he said after a moment
My brows furrowed
“What”
He shook his head slightly
“Nothing”
That didn’t help
“Start talking,” I said, my patience already thin “You said you have answers”
He nodded slowly
“I do”
“Then talk”
Another small pause
Then
“The accident” he said
My body tensed immediately
“What about it”
“You really don’t remember, do you”
Something in his tone made my chest tighten
“No” I replied slowly “Because no one ever told me there was one”
He let out a quiet breath, like that confirmed something for him
“Of course they didn’t”
“Who is ‘they’” I snapped
“Ethan… and the people he works with”
My heart skipped
“Works with”
Ethan was a businessman
That was all
At least… that was what I thought
“You’re not making sense” I said, shaking my head slightly
“Ethan runs a company, that’s it”
The man’s expression didn’t change
“No,” he said quietly
“That’s not it”
A chill ran down my spine
“Then what is it”
He hesitated
Just for a second
Then leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping
“The night of the accident, Lena… you weren’t supposed to survive”
The same words
Again
My chest tightened painfully
“Stop saying that,” I said, my voice sharper now “Explain it”
“I am”
“No, you’re not, you’re just repeating the same thing Ethan said”
His gaze held mine steadily
“Because it’s the truth”
Silence fell between us
Heavy
Uncomfortable
Then I asked the question I had been avoiding
“…What accident”
He exhaled slowly
“Three years ago, the night before your wedding”
My breath caught
“That’s impossible” I said immediately “Nothing happened that night”
“That’s what you were told”
My head started to spin slightly
“No”
He watched me carefully
“You were in a car crash, Lena”
The words hit hard
Too hard
“I would remember that”
“You didn’t” he replied calmly “Because they made sure you wouldn’t”
My stomach dropped
“Made sure… how”
But before he could answer, something sharp cut through the silence
A loud noise
From outside
Footsteps
Multiple
Fast
The man’s expression changed instantly
Tension replacing whatever calm he had before
“They found you faster than I expected” he muttered
My heart slammed against my chest
“Who”
But he was already standing now, moving quickly toward the window
“Do you trust me” he asked suddenly
“What”
“Do you trust me” he repeated, more urgent this time
“I don’t even know you”
“Then you need to decide fast” he said, turning back to me “Because if they get in here, you’re not walking out again”
My breath caught
“What are you talking about”
The footsteps got louder
Closer
Right outside the door now
My pulse raced as I took a step back instinctively
“Lena,” he said sharply
I looked at him
“Who are you” I demand
ed
He held my gaze for a second
Then finally said
“My name is Adrian Cole”
The door handle behind me twisted suddenly
A loud bang followed
Someone trying to force it open
My heart jumped
And Adrian’s next words made everything worse
“Ethan sent them”
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