Chapter 6: The Wrong Target
1970 Words
The next morning, I woke up with one thought in my mind.
Elena.
I had barely slept after Adrian told me about her.
Three years ago.
The same year I met Daniel.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
At least, I didn't think it was.
I reached for my phone.
No messages from Daniel.
None from Vanessa.
None from Adrian.
For some reason, that bothered me.
I stared at the screen for a few seconds before putting it down.
“Get yourself together.”
I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
I was brushing my teeth when my phone finally vibrated.
Adrian.
Adrian: Don't come to the café today.
I stopped.
Me: Why?
He didn't answer.
I typed again.
Me: Adrian?
Nothing.
I called him.
Straight to voicemail.
My stomach tightened.
Something was wrong.
I quickly changed clothes and grabbed my bag.
Before I could leave, Daniel appeared in the hallway.
“Where are you going?”
I froze.
“I have work.”
“You're not working today.”
I stared at him.
“How do you know?”
“You told me yesterday.”
I didn't remember telling him that.
But I didn't argue.
“I'm meeting someone.”
“Who?”
I smiled.
“A friend.”
He stepped closer.
“Which friend?”
“Why?”
“I just want to know.”
I looked at him.
“You've been asking that a lot.”
He smiled.
“Because I'm your boyfriend.”
“Then trust me.”
His expression changed.
“I do.”
“Good.”
I walked past him.
But before I reached the door, he said,
“Is it Adrian?”
I stopped.
My heart skipped.
Slowly, I turned around.
“Why would you ask that?”
Daniel didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
“You know him.”
“No.”
“You know his name.”
“I've heard it.”
“From where?”
He looked away.
“Work.”
I laughed.
“Of course.”
I opened the door.
“Wait.”
I looked back.
“Be careful who you trust.”
I smiled.
“I'll keep that in mind.”
Then I left.
The moment I stepped outside, I called Adrian again.
Still nothing.
I decided to go to his office.
When I arrived, the receptionist looked at me.
“Can I help you?”
“I'm looking for Adrian.”
She hesitated.
“Adrian who?”
I gave her his full name.
Her expression changed.
“He's not here.”
“When will he be back?”
“I don't know.”
“Did he come in today?”
She looked at her computer.
“Yes.”
“What time?”
“Eight fifteen.”
I checked my phone.
It was already ten.
“So he was here?”
“Yes.”
“Did he leave?”
“I think so.”
I frowned.
“Think?”
She looked uncomfortable.
“I can't give out employee information.”
“I understand.”
I turned away.
Then she quietly called after me.
“Miss?”
I looked back.
She glanced around.
“Adrian told me someone might come looking for him.”
My heart dropped.
“When?”
“Yesterday.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
“Did he say anything else?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
I thanked her and walked outside.
Something was definitely wrong.
I called again.
Nothing.
Then I received a message.
Not from Adrian.
Unknown: Stop looking for him.
I stared at the screen.
Me: Who are you?
Unknown: Someone giving you a warning.
Me: Where is Adrian?
No answer.
I typed again.
Me: If you've done something to him, I swear—
The message came.
Unknown: You should be more worried about yourself.
I looked around.
People were walking past me.
Cars were moving along the street.
Everything looked normal.
But suddenly I felt like I was being watched.
I walked into the nearest café and sat at a table near the window.
I needed to think.
Adrian had warned me not to come.
Then he disappeared.
Someone knew I was looking for him.
And Daniel somehow knew his name.
I opened my phone and looked at the photograph of Adrian from two years ago.
He had been at the same company event as Daniel.
Why?
I searched his name online.
Nothing useful.
Then I remembered something.
The folder.
The company.
Meridian.
I searched Adrian and Meridian together.
A result appeared.
My heart jumped.
It was an old article.
Meridian had announced a new executive team six years ago.
I read the names.
Then stopped.
Adrian was there.
But he wasn't an employee.
He was listed as a legal representative.
I stared at the screen.
“Who are you?”
I whispered.
Then I noticed another name.
Elena.
She was listed as one of the founders.
I quickly took a screenshot.
That meant Adrian and Elena weren't strangers.
They had worked together.
Maybe even before Daniel.
I searched further.
Another article.
Meridian had been involved in a financial investigation three years ago.
The article was short.
It mentioned missing records.
Unexplained payments.
And one person who disappeared before the investigation was completed.
Elena.
I leaned back.
Everything was connected.
The company.
Elena.
Daniel.
Adrian.
Vanessa.
And me.
But why?
My phone vibrated again.
This time, it was Daniel.
Daniel: Where are you?
I didn't answer.
Another message.
Daniel: I'm worried.
I almost laughed.
Worried.
That was rich.
I typed:
Me: I'm fine.
Daniel: Come home.
Me: Why?
Daniel: We need to talk.
Me: About Adrian?
The typing indicator appeared.
Then disappeared.
Appeared again.
Finally:
Daniel: What did he tell you?
I stared at the message.
There.
The truth.
Daniel wasn't asking if I had seen Adrian.
He was asking what Adrian had told me.
I smiled.
Me: Nothing important.
Daniel: Don't lie to me.
I laughed quietly.
Me: You first.
No response.
I put my phone away.
Then someone sat across from me.
I looked up.
Vanessa.
I immediately became cautious.
“What are you doing here?”
She looked nervous.
“I need to talk to you.”
“About Adrian?”
She nodded.
“Is he okay?”
“I don't know.”
My heart sank.
“What do you mean?”
“I saw him yesterday.”
“When?”
“After you left.”
“Where?”
“Outside the building.”
“Was he alone?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
“With who?”
“I don't know.”
I stared at her.
“You're not telling me everything.”
“I can't.”
“Then tell me something useful.”
She looked around.
Then leaned closer.
“Adrian was followed.”
My stomach tightened.
“By who?”
“I don't know.”
“Where did he go?”
“He went to meet someone.”
“Who?”
“Elena.”
I froze.
“You know where she is?”
Vanessa nodded.
“Not exactly.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because she contacted me.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
“What did she say?”
Vanessa reached into her bag.
She took out a folded piece of paper.
I opened it.
There was an address.
My heart started beating faster.
“What's this?”
“Where Elena wants to meet.”
I looked at Vanessa.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“Because she specifically asked for you.”
I froze.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vanessa shook her head.
“She didn't tell me.”
I stared at the address.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
I looked at her.
“Are you coming?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Elena doesn't want me there.”
I folded the paper.
“Then why does she want me?”
Vanessa looked at me.
“That's what scares me.”
I stood.
“Thank you.”
She grabbed my hand.
“Please be careful.”
I looked at her.
“Everyone keeps telling me that.”
“Because you don't listen.”
I smiled.
“Maybe.”
She let go.
As I walked away, my phone vibrated.
Unknown: Don't go to the address.
I stopped.
I looked at the message.
Another came.
Unknown: It's a trap.
I stared at it.
Then looked at the piece of paper in my hand.
Someone was warning me.
But who?
I typed:
Me: Who is Elena?
The reply came almost immediately.
Unknown: The woman who can destroy Daniel.
I swallowed.
Me: Then why shouldn't I meet her?
A few seconds passed.
Unknown: Because she can destroy you too.
I looked at the address again.
For the first time, I wasn't sure whether I wanted answers.
But I knew one thing.
If Elena really had proof against Daniel, I couldn't ignore her.
Maybe this was the chance I had been waiting for.
Maybe it was the trap.
Either way, I was going.
I folded the paper and placed it inside my bag.
I didn't tell Daniel.
I didn't tell Vanessa.
And I definitely didn't tell Adrian.
Because if someone was watching me, I wanted them to think I was still confused.
I wanted them to underestimate me.
That was their mistake.
They thought I was chasing the truth because I was desperate.
They didn't understand.
I wasn't desperate anymore.
I was angry.
And angry women were dangerous when they finally stopped asking for explanations.
That evening, I arrived at the address alone.
It was an old building on the edge of the city.
No security.
No reception.
Just a single door.
I checked my phone.
No signal.
“Great.”
I pushed the door open.
Inside was dark.
I stepped forward.
“Hello?”
Nothing.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
I turned around.
The door slammed shut.
I grabbed the handle.
Locked.
My heart started pounding.
“Who's there?”
No answer.
Then the lights turned on.
I froze.
Someone was sitting in a chair across the room.
A woman.
Dark hair.
Calm expression.
She looked exactly like the photograph Adrian had shown me.
Elena.
She stood slowly.
“You came.”
I swallowed.
“You asked me to.”
“Yes.”
“Where is Adrian?”
Her expression changed.
“He shouldn't have been involved.”
“What happened to him?”
She didn't answer.
I stepped closer.
“Where is he?”
Elena looked at me for a long moment.
Then she said,
“Before you worry about Adrian, you need to understand something.”
“What?”
She walked toward me.
“Daniel isn't trying to hide his affair from you.”
She stopped directly in front of me.
“He's trying to hide the reason he chose you.”
My blood ran cold.
“What does that mean?”
Elena smiled sadly.
“You really don't know, do you?”
“Know what?”
She reached into her bag.
Then placed an old photograph on the table.
I looked down.
It was a picture of Daniel.
Vanessa.
Adrian.
Elena.
And another person.
Me.
I couldn't breathe.
But the photograph was impossible.
Because I had never met any of them before Daniel.
At least, I thought I hadn't.
I looked at the date.
Six years ago.
Two years before I met Daniel.
I stared at Elena.
“How am I in this photograph?”
She didn't answer.
Instead, she said something that made my entire body go cold.
“Because, sweetheart, your story with Daniel didn't begin three years ago.”
She pointed at the photograph.
“It began long before you even knew his name.”
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