Chapter 3: the warning
1480 Words
Nia’s POV
“Nia.”
I froze.
The voice had been so clear.
Someone had whispered my name.
But there was nobody in the room.
The lights were still off.
I could hear my own breathing.
“Lucien?”
“Stay where you are.”
His voice came from somewhere in the darkness.
I heard his footsteps moving toward me.
Then his hand grabbed my arm.
“Don’t move.”
“Why?”
“Just trust me.”
I wanted to pull away.
But something about his voice made me stop.
A second later, the lights came back on.
I quickly looked around the office.
Nothing.
No one.
The door was still open.
The windows were closed.
I looked at Lucien.
“What was that?”
He didn’t answer.
“Lucien.”
His eyes moved around the room.
He looked angry.
And worried.
“Someone was here.”
My heart dropped.
“What?”
“Someone was watching us.”
I looked toward the door.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You said you knew who was behind my father’s disappearance.”
“I said I had a suspicion.”
“Then tell me!”
Lucien looked at me.
“I can’t.”
I couldn’t believe him.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
“Doing what?”
“Giving me half the truth!”
I stepped closer.
“My father disappeared years ago. My mother refuses to talk about him. Someone sends me a warning. Then I find out my father knew your family.”
I held up the pendant.
“And now this thing is somehow connected to all of it.”
My voice shook.
“I deserve to know what is happening.”
Lucien stared at me.
“You’re right.”
I blinked.
That was the last thing I expected him to say.
He walked toward his desk.
Then he opened a drawer.
He pulled out a small black box.
He placed it on the desk.
“Your father left this.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“I found it three years ago.”
I slowly walked toward the desk.
“Where?”
“In my father’s old study.”
My heart started beating faster.
“You’ve had it all this time?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t know if I could trust you.”
I looked at him.
“You could have asked me.”
“I didn’t know who was watching.”
That answer made me quiet.
Lucien opened the box.
Inside was an old piece of paper.
He picked it up.
“There was only one thing written on it.”
He handed it to me.
I looked down.
My eyes widened.
It was my father’s handwriting.
DON’T TRUST THE VALES.
I stared at the words.
“No.”
I shook my head.
“My father wouldn’t write this.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
I looked up at Lucien.
“He trusted someone in your family.”
Lucien’s expression became cold.
“Maybe he did.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means your father may have been trying to protect you.”
I looked back at the paper.
Then something caught my attention.
There was a small mark underneath the words.
The same symbol that was on my pendant.
I touched it.
“What is this?”
Lucien suddenly took the paper from my hand.
“Where did you see that?”
“It’s the same symbol.”
“I know.”
“Then what does it mean?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he looked at the pendant again.
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
“Nia.”
“You’re not taking it.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You don’t understand what that pendant can do.”
“Then explain it!”
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“Who is it?” I asked.
He ignored me and answered.
“Speak.”
There was silence.
Then his face became darker.
“What do you mean she’s gone?”
I stared at him.
“Who is gone?”
Lucien didn’t answer me.
He ended the call.
Then he grabbed his jacket.
“We’re leaving.”
“Where?”
“Your house.”
My stomach dropped.
“My house?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
He looked at me.
“Because your mother isn’t answering her phone.”
My heart stopped.
I immediately pulled out my phone.
I called my mother.
Once.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
“She’s probably sleeping,” I said quickly.
Lucien shook his head.
“She always answers.”
I called again.
Still nothing.
My hands started shaking.
“Something happened.”
Lucien walked toward the elevator.
I followed him.
“What are we going to do?”
“Find your mother.”
The elevator doors opened.
We stepped inside.
I looked at him.
“Lucien.”
He turned toward me.
“Did someone take my mother?”
His silence was enough.
My heart sank.
The elevator began moving down.
Then my phone suddenly vibrated.
I looked at the screen.
A message.
Unknown number.
My blood ran cold.
I opened it.
There was only one sentence.
STOP LOOKING FOR YOUR FATHER.
I stared at the message.
Then another one appeared.
OR YOU WILL LOSE YOUR MOTHER TOO.
I couldn’t breathe.
Lucien saw my face.
“What happened?”
I handed him my phone.
He read the messages.
His expression turned completely cold.
“Now they know you’re with me.”
The elevator suddenly stopped.
I looked at him.
“What happened?”
The lights went out.
Again.
Lucien stepped in front of me.
“Stay behind me.”
I heard a loud sound outside the elevator.
Then another.
Someone was there.
My heart was pounding.
“Lucien…”
“Don’t speak.”
The elevator doors suddenly opened.
But instead of the lobby, we were staring into a dark hallway.
Lucien’s eyes narrowed.
“This isn’t possible.”
“What?”
He looked at me.
“This floor doesn’t exist.”
I stared into the darkness.
Then I heard the same voice from his office.
“Nia.”
This time, it was closer.
I grabbed Lucien’s arm.
“Who is that?”
He didn’t answer.
The voice whispered again.
“You shouldn’t have come here.”
And then the elevator doors slammed shut behind us.
“What pendant?”
“The one your father left you.”
My heart stopped.
“How do you know about that?”
He stepped closer.
“Nia.”
It was the first time he had said my name.
“Give it to me.”
I slowly reached into my bag.
I pulled out the black pendant.
The moment Lucien saw it, his face changed.
He looked shocked.
“You have it.”
“What is it?”
He didn’t answer.
The pendant suddenly became warm in my hand.
I looked down.
The strange symbol on it seemed to shine for a second.
Lucien immediately stepped back.
“What is happening?”
I looked at him.
He wasn’t looking at the pendant anymore.
He was looking at me.
“Your father should never have given that to you.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
Lucien’s voice became quiet.
“Because it means they found you.”
“Who?”
He didn’t answer.
“Lucien.”
He looked toward the door.
Then back at me.
“You need to go home.”
“I’m not leaving until you tell me the truth.”
He walked toward the door and opened it.
“Your father wasn’t the only person who disappeared.”
I stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
Lucien looked at me for a long moment.
Then he said,
“My brother disappeared too.”
I froze.
“And I think the same person took them both.”
My mouth fell open.
“Your brother?”
Lucien nodded.
“And if I’m right…”
His eyes moved to the pendant in my hand.
“…your father knew exactly where my brother was.”
I stared at him.
For the first time, I realized this was much bigger than I had thought.
My father wasn’t simply missing.
He was connected to the Vale family.
And somehow, Lucien believed the same person was behind both disappearances.
I looked at the pendant.
Then at him.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Lucien’s face became unreadable.
“The truth.”
He paused.
“Is something you may not be ready to hear.”
Then the lights went out again.
And this time, I heard a voice whisper from somewhere inside the dark room.
“Nia.”
I turned around.
But nobody was there.
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