Before You Found Me

A SAFE PLACE

Adrian convinced Isla to take a few days off.

At first, she refused.

"I can't just disappear from work."

"You can."

"My manager will fire me."

"I already spoke to him."

Isla stopped walking.

"You what?"

Adrian looked at her calmly.

"He agreed."

"You talked to my manager without asking me?"

"Yes."

She stared at him.

"You really like making decisions for other people."

"I prefer solving problems."

"Those aren't the same thing."

"I know."

She crossed her arms.

"And what exactly did you tell him?"

"That you needed a few days away."

"And he believed you?"

Adrian smiled faintly.

"I was convincing."

Isla shook her head.

"Unbelievable."

But despite her complaints, she knew he was right.

She needed a break.

The past few days had turned her life upside down.

She had barely slept.

She was constantly checking behind her.

Every unknown number made her nervous.

Every unfamiliar car made her wonder whether someone was watching.

Maybe a few days away wouldn't be so bad.

Adrian brought her back to the Hale estate.

This time, however, it didn't feel as intimidating.

The massive iron gates opened slowly as their car approached.

The long driveway stretched toward the mansion.

But Isla wasn't looking at the house the way she had the first time.

She noticed the trees.

The flowers.

The quiet paths around the property.

Somehow, the place felt different.

Or maybe she was different.

The first time she had arrived, she had been a stranger.

Now she knew the people inside.

She knew Evelyn.

She knew Adrian.

And despite all the secrets surrounding the family, she no longer felt completely like an outsider.

The front doors opened before they reached them.

Evelyn stood waiting.

Her face immediately brightened when she saw Isla.

"Miss Bennett."

Isla smiled.

"Hi, Evelyn."

Evelyn walked toward her and pulled her into a warm hug.

Isla froze for a second.

Then she smiled.

"I had a feeling we'd see you again."

Isla laughed.

"Apparently, I can't stay away."

Evelyn looked at Adrian.

"Or perhaps someone keeps bringing you back."

Adrian sighed.

"Evelyn."

"What?"

"You don't have to say everything you're thinking."

Evelyn smiled.

"Someone has to."

Isla laughed again.

For the first time in months, she laughed without forcing it.

The sound surprised her.

She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed that freely.

Evelyn noticed.

"You needed that."

Isla's smile softened.

"Yeah."

Adrian watched them quietly.

There was something almost peaceful about seeing Isla smile.

Something he hadn't expected.

"Come inside," Evelyn said.

"I prepared the guest room."

Isla looked at Adrian.

"Guest room?"

"You'll stay here."

She raised an eyebrow.

"For how long?"

"A few days."

"You said that already."

"And I meant it."

She sighed.

"Fine."

Evelyn smiled.

"Good."

As they walked inside, Isla noticed something she hadn't noticed before.

The mansion wasn't as cold as she remembered.

There were photographs along the walls.

Family portraits.

Old paintings.

Pictures of Adrian as a child.

She stopped in front of one.

A young Adrian stood between an older man and woman.

His mother had her hand resting gently on his shoulder.

His father stood beside them with a serious expression.

Isla looked at Adrian.

"That's your family?"

He nodded.

"My parents."

She studied the photograph.

"You look different."

"I was younger."

"No."

She smiled.

"You smiled more."

Adrian looked at the photograph.

"People change."

The words were quiet.

Isla didn't ask anything else.

Later that evening, after dinner, Adrian showed her the estate's library.

The doors opened into an enormous room.

Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling.

Books covered almost every wall.

A large window overlooked the gardens.

Isla stepped inside slowly.

"Wow."

Adrian smiled.

"My mother loved books."

Isla looked around.

"She collected all of these?"

"Most of them."

She walked toward one of the shelves.

"What did she like?"

"Everything."

"Everything?"

"History. Poetry. Fiction. Philosophy."

He smiled faintly.

"She believed books allowed people to travel without leaving home."

Isla smiled.

"I like her already."

Adrian laughed softly.

"She would've liked you."

Isla looked at him.

"You think?"

"I know."

She turned back toward the books.

"What happened to her?"

Adrian's smile faded.

"I lost both my parents ten years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable.

It was different.

Heavy.

But peaceful.

Isla slowly walked toward him.

"Do you miss them?"

"Every day."

She nodded.

"My grandmother has been gone six months."

Adrian looked at her.

"You still talk about her."

"She was my entire world."

"What was she like?"

Isla smiled.

"Strong."

"Like you?"

She laughed quietly.

"Maybe."

"What happened?"

"She got sick."

Isla looked down.

"I knew she didn't have much time left."

Adrian remained silent.

"I promised her I'd be okay."

"Are you?"

Isla looked at him.

She wanted to say yes.

Instead, she answered honestly.

"I don't know."

Adrian nodded.

"I understand."

She looked around the library.

"Is that why you keep all these books?"

"Maybe."

"To remember her?"

"Partly."

He walked toward one of the shelves.

He pulled out an old book.

"This was her favorite."

Isla accepted it carefully.

The cover was worn.

Several pages had clearly been turned many times.

"Have you read it?"

"Many times."

She smiled.

"Then you should tell me why she loved it."

Adrian leaned against the bookshelf.

"She said it reminded her that people could lose everything and still find a reason to keep going."

Isla looked down at the book.

"That's beautiful."

"My mother was."

Another silence.

Then Isla looked at him.

"Adrian?"

"Yes?"

"Do you ever get tired of being strong?"

He didn't answer immediately.

Then he said,

"All the time."

She wasn't expecting that.

He continued.

"But when everyone around you depends on you, you learn not to show it."

Isla understood.

"That's lonely."

"It is."

She placed the book back on the shelf.

"You're not alone anymore."

Adrian looked at her.

Neither spoke.

The words seemed to surprise both of them.

Isla looked away.

"I mean..."

"I know what you meant."

He smiled.

And for a moment, neither of them felt the need to say anything else.

Outside the library, Evelyn quietly passed the doorway.

She saw them standing together.

A small smile appeared on her face.

Then she continued walking.

But neither Isla nor Adrian noticed the small security monitor in the corner of the library.

A red light blinked.

Someone had accessed the estate's external camera system.

A message appeared on the security screen.

REMOTE CONNECTION DETECTED.

Then it disappeared.

No alarm sounded.

No one noticed.

Not yet.

Later that night, Isla returned to her room.

She changed into comfortable clothes and sat beside the window.

The estate was quiet.

She looked outside.

For the first time in days, she didn't feel afraid.

She felt safe.

But safety could be deceptive.

Downstairs, Adrian stood in his office looking through security reports.

His phone rang.

He answered.

"Yes?"

A security officer spoke.

"Sir, we detected an unusual connection to one of the estate's external cameras."

Adrian's expression hardened.

"When?"

"About an hour ago."

"Why wasn't I informed immediately?"

"We thought it was a system error."

"Check it again."

"Yes, sir."

Adrian ended the call.

He looked toward the hallway.

Toward the guest room where Isla was sleeping.

His expression changed.

He had brought her here because he believed the estate was the safest place for her.

But now he wasn't so sure.

He walked toward the security room.

Outside the mansion, beyond the iron gates, a dark vehicle sat motionless on the road.

Inside, someone watched a laptop screen.

A live image of the Hale estate appeared.

The person zoomed in.

Then smiled.

"So this is where Adrian Hale hides the people he wants to protect."

A phone rang.

The person answered.

"She's inside."

A voice replied,

"Good."

"What do we do now?"

There was a pause.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Let Adrian believe she's safe."

The person looked at the mansion.

"Let them get comfortable."

A smile appeared.

"Because the safest place in the world..."

The laptop screen went dark.

"...is sometimes the easiest place to trap someone."

Back inside the estate, Isla closed her eyes.

She had no idea that the place she had begun to see as a refuge...

Had already been found.