Chapter 5: The Hidden Truth
1841 Words
I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I heard the voice from the phone.
Your mother tried to protect you.
But she failed.
I kept thinking about the note I had found inside the old jewelry box.
If anything happens to me, never let the Joshua family find Rose.
Why would my mother write something like that?
What had happened between her and Hardin's family?
And why had she been afraid of them finding me?
I sat on my bed with the note in my hands.
There had to be an explanation.
Maybe the note wasn't what I thought it was.
Maybe my mother had been afraid of someone else.
Maybe the Joshua family had nothing to do with it.
But then there was the symbol.
The same symbol was on the black card Hardin had dropped.
I couldn't ignore that.
My phone vibrated.
I looked at the screen.
Another unknown number.
My heart immediately started racing.
I didn't answer.
The phone stopped.
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
Don't trust anyone at Westbridge.
I stared at it.
Then another message arrived.
Especially Kate.
My stomach tightened.
Kate?
I immediately dismissed the thought.
Kate had been kind to me since my first day.
She had helped me find my classes.
She had warned me about Hardin.
She had stayed with me when I was waiting for my father.
Why would I suddenly suspect her?
Still, the message planted a small seed of doubt.
And I hated that.
---
The next morning, I arrived at school earlier than usual.
I hadn't told my father anything.
I didn't know how to explain it.
How could I tell him that someone was sending me mysterious messages and that my mother's old belongings were somehow connected to the Joshua family?
He would probably tell me to come home.
And maybe that was exactly what I should do.
But I needed answers first.
I entered the classroom.
Kate was already there.
She smiled when she saw me.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
She looked at me carefully.
“You look tired.”
“I didn't sleep well.”
“Why?”
“Just thinking.”
She pulled out the chair beside her.
“About yesterday?”
I nodded.
She lowered her voice.
“Did anything else happen?”
I hesitated.
“No.”
It wasn't exactly a lie.
I just wasn't ready to tell her.
Kate studied me.
“Rose, you can trust me.”
The words made my chest tighten.
I remembered the message.
Especially Kate.
I forced a smile.
“I know.”
She smiled back.
But for the first time, I wondered if I really did.
---
During the first class, I tried to focus.
It didn't work.
My eyes kept drifting toward the door.
I was waiting for Hardin.
I didn't know why.
Maybe I wanted answers.
Maybe I wanted to know if he knew about the connection between our families.
Or maybe I simply wanted to understand why everyone seemed afraid of him.
The door opened.
Hardin walked in.
Our eyes met.
He stopped for a fraction of a second.
Then he walked to his seat.
I watched him.
He looked different today.
More distant.
More serious.
There was a small cut near his eyebrow.
I noticed it immediately.
“What happened to him?” I whispered.
Kate looked at Hardin.
“I don't know.”
“You're sure?”
She nodded.
Hardin suddenly looked toward us.
I quickly looked down at my notebook.
A few seconds later, I heard a chair move.
Hardin had stood up.
He walked out of the classroom.
I stared at the door.
I knew I shouldn't follow him.
I knew I had already been warned.
But curiosity was stronger than common sense.
I stood.
“Where are you going?” Kate whispered.
“Bathroom.”
She looked suspicious.
I walked out before she could say anything else.
---
I found Hardin near the back staircase.
He was standing alone, speaking on his phone.
“I told you I'm handling it.”
A pause.
“No.”
Another pause.
“I don't care what he wants.”
His voice became colder.
“I said no one touches her.”
I stopped.
Her.
Was he talking about me?
Hardin suddenly turned.
Our eyes met.
His expression changed.
He ended the call.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was looking for you.”
“Why?”
“I need answers.”
“You need to stop looking for them.”
I stepped closer.
“Why does your family know me?”
He froze.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he asked quietly,
“Who told you?”
“No one.”
“Rose.”
“My mother left something.”
His eyes changed.
“What?”
I pulled the folded note from my bag.
He took one look at it.
The color drained from his face.
“Where did you get this?”
“It belonged to my mother.”
He stared at the handwriting.
“You shouldn't have this.”
“That's what everyone keeps saying.”
I took another step toward him.
“What did my mother have to do with your family?”
Hardin looked away.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, there's no going back.”
“There already isn't.”
He looked at me.
“What does that mean?”
I swallowed.
“Someone called me last night.”
His expression hardened.
“What did they say?”
“They said my mother tried to protect me.”
Hardin's face became completely still.
“And?”
“They said she failed.”
For the first time, Hardin looked genuinely shaken.
“Did they threaten you?”
“No.”
“Did they tell you who they were?”
“No.”
He ran a hand through his hair.
“This is worse than I thought.”
“What is?”
He looked at me.
“Your mother knew my family.”
My heart sank.
“How?”
“I don't know everything.”
“But you know something.”
He remained silent.
“Hardin.”
He sighed.
“My father and your mother knew each other.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“I don't know the full story.”
“Then tell me what you do know.”
He looked toward the hallway.
“My father doesn't talk about the past.”
“Why?”
“Because some things are better buried.”
I shook my head.
“That's not good enough.”
“I know.”
“Then help me.”
His eyes met mine.
For a moment, he looked as though he wanted to say something.
Instead, he said,
“You need to go home.”
“Why?”
“Because you're not safe here.”
“From your family?”
He didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
---
When I returned to class, Kate immediately noticed something was wrong.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
“You disappeared for almost twenty minutes.”
“I needed some air.”
She stared at me.
“You're lying.”
I didn't respond.
She leaned closer.
“Rose, what's going on?”
Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
A photograph had been sent.
My hands went cold.
It was an old photograph.
A woman stood beside a man.
I recognized the woman immediately.
My mother.
The man beside her was older, but I recognized him too.
I had seen his photograph before.
Hardin's father.
My heart pounded.
Underneath the photograph was a message.
Ask your mother why she trusted him.
I stared at the screen.
Kate noticed my expression.
“What is it?”
I locked my phone.
“Nothing.”
She frowned.
“Rose…”
“I said nothing.”
It was the first time I had ever spoken sharply to her.
She looked hurt.
I immediately regretted it.
“I'm sorry.”
She nodded slowly.
“It's okay.”
But something had changed.
I could feel it.
---
After classes ended, I decided not to wait for my father at the usual entrance.
I wanted to be alone.
I walked toward the quieter side of campus.
The sky was beginning to darken.
I heard footsteps behind me.
I stopped.
The footsteps stopped too.
I turned.
Nobody.
My heart began beating faster.
I continued walking.
Then I heard my name.
“Rose.”
I turned again.
Hardin stood several feet away.
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
He looked around.
“Are you alone?”
“Yes.”
“You shouldn't be.”
“Why?”
He walked closer.
“Because someone is watching you.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Since yesterday.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I've been watching them too.”
I stared at him.
“Who?”
“I don't know yet.”
“You're lying.”
“I'm not.”
He looked toward the road.
“Go home.”
I shook my head.
“Not until you tell me the truth.”
He sighed.
“Rose…”
“No.”
I held up the photograph on my phone.
“My mother knew your father.”
Hardin stared at the screen.
Then his expression changed.
“Where did you get that?”
“Someone sent it to me.”
“When?”
“Today.”
He took a slow breath.
“This can't continue.”
“What can't?”
“Whatever is happening between our families.”
I stared at him.
“Our families?”
He nodded.
“There are things about your mother you don't know.”
My heart sank.
“What things?”
Before he could answer, a car suddenly stopped at the end of the road.
Hardin immediately stepped in front of me.
The windows were dark.
The car remained still for several seconds.
Then it drove away.
Hardin watched it disappear.
“Go home,” he said.
This time, there was no hesitation in his voice.
Only fear.
I looked at him.
“What was that?”
He didn't answer.
Then his phone rang.
He checked the screen.
His expression became cold.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“My father.”
He answered.
“Hello?”
A pause.
His eyes slowly moved toward me.
Then he said quietly,
“She's with me.”
My heart stopped.
Hardin listened for a few seconds.
Then his expression hardened.
“I understand.”
He ended the call.
“What did he say?”
Hardin looked at me.
“He knows you're here.”
I swallowed.
“How?”
Hardin's voice dropped.
“Because someone told him.”
He looked toward the road again.
Then back at me.
“And now we have to find out who.”
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