CHAPTER THREE: THE WARNING BETWEEN US
1752 Words
Mia Anderson barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the photograph lying inside her desk drawer.
Stay away from Ethan Blackwood. His family destroys everyone who gets close to them.
It was ridiculous. Why would someone threaten a university student simply because she had a handsome, arrogant classmate?
By seven o'clock, Mia had made three decisions.
First, she would attend her lectures.
Second, she would work on her business proposal.
Third, she would ask Ethan Blackwood what he knew about the mysterious warning.
If he tried to insult her, she would insult him twice as badly.
Simple.
Unfortunately, Ethan Blackwood had a talent for making simple things complicated.
At Westbridge University, Ethan sat beneath a tree near the library, reading a financial report on his phone.
He had arrived twenty minutes early for his meeting with Mia.
He told himself it was because punctuality mattered.
He definitely wasn't waiting for her.
"You're staring at the entrance again," Leo Bennett remarked, dropping onto the bench beside him.
Ethan didn't look up.
"Good morning to you too."
"Did you sleep?"
"Yes."
"Dream about the girl who spilled coffee on you?"
Ethan slowly lowered his phone.
"Do you value your life?"
Leo grinned.
"Apparently, your grandfather does. He called my father last night to ask whether you've been behaving yourself."
Ethan's expression darkened.
"My grandfather has too much free time."
"He's worried about you. You're attending university, spending time with a human girl, and pretending to be ordinary."
"I'm not pretending."
Leo looked at Ethan's expensive watch and designer shoes.
"Of course. You're an ordinary student who could purchase this entire university without checking his bank balance."
Before Ethan could respond, Mia appeared at the library entrance.
She spotted him immediately and marched toward him.
"Blackwood, we need to talk."
Leo glanced between them.
"Oh, this should be entertaining."
Mia pointed at him.
"Alone."
Leo stood.
"I've suddenly remembered an appointment with absolutely nobody."
He walked away, laughing.
Ethan watched Mia sit beside him.
"Good morning, Anderson."
"Don't 'good morning' me."
"Would you prefer good afternoon?"
"Ethan."
He raised an eyebrow. She rarely used his first name.
Mia pulled a folded photograph from her bag and placed it between them.
His expression changed immediately.
"Where did you get this?"
"Someone delivered it to my apartment last night."
Ethan picked it up. On the back was a warning:
Stay away from Ethan Blackwood. His family destroys everyone who gets close to them.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Mia crossed her arms.
"Care to explain?"
"I've never seen this photograph before."
"But you recognise the message?"
"I recognise the handwriting," he replied before realising his mistake.
Mia leaned closer.
"You do?"
He quickly corrected himself.
"I mean, whoever sent it wants you to believe my family is dangerous."
"That wasn't my question."
"Mia—"
"So, your family has enemies?"
"Everyone with money has enemies."
"Do all those enemies secretly photograph university students?"
Ethan had no answer.
Mia stood.
"Fine. Keep your secrets. But if someone follows me again, I'm going to the police."
"That might not help."
She froze.
Slowly, she turned around.
"What does that mean?"
Ethan realised his mistake.
"I mean, we don't know who sent the photograph. You should be careful."
Mia stared at him suspiciously.
"You're hiding something."
"So are you."
Her mouth fell open.
"Excuse me?"
"You received a warning about me, yet you came here alone to confront me. Either you're brave or reckless."
"I'm neither. I simply refuse to let some anonymous coward control my life."
Her answer surprised him.
Most people would have run from a threat. Mia had brought it directly to him.
Ethan admired her courage, although he was beginning to worry about her safety.
"Until we discover who's behind this, don't walk home alone after dark," he said.
Mia narrowed her eyes.
"Are you ordering me around?"
"No. I'm asking you to be careful."
She studied him briefly before collecting the photograph.
"Fine. But I'm not staying away from you because some stranger told me to. And if you know anything, tell me before this gets worse."
She marched into the library.
Ethan watched her disappear.
Leo returned almost immediately.
"So, how was the romantic conversation?"
"Not one more word."
Leo laughed.
"For someone who's lived for more than a century, you have absolutely no idea how to talk to women."
Ethan walked away.
Leo followed, still laughing.
At four o'clock, Mia and Ethan settled at a large table inside the library.
Their business competition deadline was approaching, and neither could afford to waste time arguing.
At least, that was what Mia told herself.
She opened her laptop.
"We need to calculate delivery expenses for the first three months."
Ethan pulled out a notebook.
"Agreed. We'll start with five participating businesses and approximately two hundred student customers."
"Two hundred? That's ambitious."
"It's a target."
"Targets don't pay delivery riders."
"Neither does complaining."
Mia slowly turned toward him.
"Did you wake up this morning and decide to become unbearable?"
"No. It's a natural talent."
She tried not to smile.
She failed.
Ethan noticed, and for a brief moment, his expression softened.
They worked for nearly an hour, discussing advertising, delivery partnerships, product verification, and ways to attract small businesses.
To Mia's surprise, Ethan listened to her ideas instead of dismissing them.
He even suggested they begin with businesses near the university before expanding across the city.
"That's actually a good idea," Mia admitted.
Ethan looked up.
"Did you just compliment me?"
"Don't ruin it."
"I'll treasure this moment forever."
"You're one hundred and seventeen years old. Surely you've received compliments before."
The words escaped before Mia realised what she had said.
Ethan went completely still.
Mia blinked, then laughed nervously.
"I meant you look old enough to have received plenty of compliments."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"How old do you think I am?"
"Twenty-one?"
"Twenty."
"Close enough."
She returned to her laptop, unaware of how narrowly she had brushed against the truth.
Ethan had lived for 117 years, but he appeared to be around twenty. His family had perfected the art of hiding their supernatural nature from humans.
Mia's careless joke should have been harmless.
Still, he couldn't ignore the strange feeling he experienced when she looked directly into his eyes.
A faint warmth.
Something he hadn't felt in decades.
He pushed the thought aside.
"Mia, your delivery projections are wrong."
She immediately looked up.
"Where?"
He pointed at her screen.
"You've calculated the cost for one rider, but you're assuming they'll deliver to every customer individually. We should group orders by location."
Mia examined the numbers.
Then she smiled.
"You're right."
Ethan leaned back.
"I know."
"And there goes the compliment."
"Some things never change."
For the first time, Mia began to understand that Ethan's arrogance wasn't the only thing he brought to their partnership.
He was intelligent, observant, and unexpectedly patient when he cared about something.
She wasn't ready to like him.
But she was beginning to respect him.
That was almost worse.
Across campus, a black car remained parked near the library.
Inside, a man wearing dark glasses watched Ethan and Mia through the window.
He lifted his phone.
"They're together again."
A voice answered.
"Did the girl receive the warning?"
"Yes. She confronted him, but she hasn't walked away."
There was a pause.
"Then the warning wasn't enough."
"What should we do?"
The voice became colder.
"Find out whether the Anderson girl has awakened."
The man glanced toward Mia.
"And if she has?"
"Then Ethan Blackwood must never discover the truth."
The call ended.
The car pulled away from the university.
At six o'clock, Mia packed her laptop.
"I need to leave. My mother expects me home before dinner."
Ethan closed his notebook.
"I'll walk you to the gate."
She stared at him.
"Why?"
"Because it's getting dark."
"It's six o'clock, not midnight."
"Do you always argue with people who are trying to help you?"
"Only when those people are you."
Nevertheless, she allowed him to walk beside her.
They passed students chatting outside lecture halls, couples sharing snacks, and vendors selling food near the university entrance.
Mia glanced at Ethan.
"Can I ask you something?"
"You've been asking questions all day."
"This one is serious."
"Go ahead."
"Why are you really attending this university?"
Ethan looked ahead.
"My grandfather believes I need to understand ordinary people before taking over the family business."
"And you agree?"
"Not particularly."
Mia laughed.
"At least you're honest."
"Why are you here?"
"To build a future for myself. I want to create a business that helps small companies grow. My family has worked hard for everything we have, and I want to give them more opportunities."
Ethan looked at her thoughtfully.
"You don't want someone else to build your future for you."
"Exactly."
He understood that feeling better than she could imagine.
His grandfather had planned almost every part of his existence, from his education to his eventual position as chairman.
Perhaps that was why Mia interested him.
She was trying to build a life on her own terms.
And he was beginning to wonder what his life would look like if he did the same.
They reached the university gate.
Mia adjusted her backpack.
"Thanks for helping with the project."
"You're welcome."
"And Ethan?"
He looked at her.
"If you discover anything about those photographs, tell me."
His expression grew serious.
"I will."
Mia nodded and walked away.
Ethan remained at the gate until she disappeared into the crowd.
Then his phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number appeared on the screen.
You have been warned. Stay away from Mia Anderson, or your grandfather will pay for your mistake.
Ethan's eyes darkened.
Whoever had sent the message had made one serious error.
They had threatened his grandfather.
And they had assumed Ethan Blackwood would obey.
He deleted the message and called his family's private security chief.
"Find out who's watching Mia Anderson," he ordered. "I want a name, an address, and every detail you can uncover."
"Understood, sir."
Ethan ended the call.
For the first time in years, his carefully controlled life was beginning to change.
He had a business competition to win, a mysterious girl to investigate, and an enemy determined to keep them apart.
Unfortunately, Mia Anderson had no intention of making his life easier.
And somewhere in the shadows, someone was preparing for the moment she discovered the truth about her own blood.
End of Chapter Three
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