016: The Dead Man's Fingerprints
552 Words
Damian remained still, his phone still pressed against his ear.
A dead man?
It didn't make sense.
He ended the call and immediately headed for the security room.
The head of security was already waiting for him.
On the large monitor was a copy of the fingerprint report.
"We ran the test three times, sir," the man said. "The results were the same."
Damian studied the report.
The name printed on the file made his expression darken.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, sir."
"The fingerprints belong to Victor Hale."
Damian's eyes narrowed.
Victor Hale.
Five years ago, the police had confirmed that Victor died in a warehouse fire. The case had been closed, and everyone believed he was gone.
"If these results are correct," Damian said, "then someone lied."
"Or someone wants us to believe he's alive," the security chief replied.
Damian folded the report.
"Dig into the old case again."
"Every witness."
"Every report."
"I want everything."
"Yes, sir."
Upstairs, Elena stood on the balcony outside her room.
She couldn't stop thinking about the threatening messages.
Her phone was still in her hand.
She opened the messages again.
There was no name.
No number.
Just the words that had kept her awake all night.
She deleted them.
A second later, her phone vibrated.
Another message appeared.
YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER.
Elena's face turned pale.
Her hands began to shake.
Before she could think, she hurried downstairs.
She found Damian leaving the study.
He immediately noticed something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Without saying a word, Elena handed him her phone.
He read the message.
His jaw tightened.
"They're getting bolder."
"I deleted the others."
"It doesn't matter."
Damian handed the phone to one of his security experts.
"I want this traced."
"It may take time, sir."
"Then don't waste any."
Across the city, Adrian sat alone in his office.
A stack of documents lay open in front of him, but he wasn't reading any of them.
His eyes fell on a small notebook tucked inside one of the drawers.
He recognized it instantly.
It belonged to Elena.
He slowly opened it.
Inside were handwritten notes.
His favorite meals.
His meeting schedule.
Medicine reminders.
Even a list of gifts she had planned to buy for his birthday.
On the last page, one sentence caught his attention.
I just want Adrian to smile again.
His grip tightened around the notebook.
For a long moment, he couldn't move.
He remembered every time he had ignored her.
Every harsh word.
Every broken promise.
A deep ache settled in his chest.
"What have I done?" he whispered.
For the first time since Elena left...
Adrian cried.
Not far away, Vanessa stood outside his office.
She had come to surprise him.
Instead, she heard everything.
Her expression slowly hardened.
"So..."
"He really misses her."
Jealousy burned inside her.
She clenched her fists.
"No."
"I won't lose him."
She turned and walked away, already planning her next move.
That evening, Damian received another call.
"We traced part of the signal, sir."
"Where did it come from?"
The security expert hesitated.
"It came from somewhere inside Blackwood Mansion."
The room fell silent.
Damian slowly looked around.
If the signal had come from inside his own home...
Then the traitor wasn't just helping the enemy.
They were living under the same roof.
- Writer
