Chapter 13: The Warning
340 Words
The following morning arrived with gray skies and a strange silence that felt heavier than usual. Rita lingered in bed, her mind replaying Richard’s words from the night before. We were both targets.
His pain had been real—unfiltered—and for the first time, he’d let her see it. Not the billionaire mask. Not the cold husband. Just a man caught between grief and guilt.
When she made her way downstairs, she found an envelope slipped under the door. No stamp. No address.
Just her name. Rita.
Her heart pounded.
She opened it cautiously.
Inside was a single sheet of paper, typed in bold letters:
“You’re in deeper than you know. Walk away, while you still can.”
No signature. No clue.
Her fingers trembled. Who would send something like this?
She tucked the note into her pocket, not yet ready to tell Richard. He had enough shadows to chase.
Later that day, Rita sat in the vast library, pretending to read, but her mind wouldn’t quiet. Footsteps approached.
It was Julian.
He eyed her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Do you know someone who would want me out of here?” she asked suddenly.
He smirked. “That list might be longer than you think.”
“I’m serious, Julian. I got a letter.”
His face changed—still amused, but now laced with something darker. “Then you’re finally touching nerves.”
“What do you mean?”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Richard isn’t the only one with family secrets. The Hooked name has blood in its roots. Not everyone likes that you’re digging.”
Rita’s breath caught. “You’re warning me?”
“I’m telling you,” Julian said, “this world doesn’t protect outsiders. It chews them up.”
He turned and walked out, leaving her alone with the fire crackling behind her and the note burning a hole in her thoughts.
She wasn’t just married to Richard Hooked.
She was married into danger.
- Writer
