A Desperate Gamble
910 Words
Evelyn’s Perspective
I didn’t sleep a wink all night.
I leaned against the headboard, my fingers brushing the space ring on my finger again and again. The cool touch of the ruby necklace pressed against my skin through my thin clothes, reminding me that last night’s threat had not been an illusion. The mysterious man’s message still glowed on my phone screen; the figures of the men in black at the warehouse gate lingered in my mind like ghosts.
It was nine o’clock in the morning. Only one hour remained until the time appointed by the mysterious man, and two hours until I was supposed to meet Karen at the bank. I quickly changed into a tight black outfit that allowed easy movement, hid the space ring under my sleeve, and slipped my parents’ old military lighter into my pocket — at this moment, it was the only sense of security I could hold onto.
The girl in the mirror had faint exhaustion in her eyes, but not a trace of backing down. In its place was a calmness and ruthlessness beyond her years. The cowardice and foolishness of my past life had been completely erased by the blood and betrayal of the apocalypse. In this life, I would fight only for myself.
As soon as I stepped out of the apartment building, my phone rang. It was Karen, his voice tinged with urgency and barely concealed impatience.
“Evelyn, where are you? We agreed to meet at the bank at nine-thirty. I’m already here.”
I held the phone and kept walking, my tone still gentle yet laced with deliberate panic.
“Karen, I’m so sorry, I have to run a quick errand first. I’ll be there soon. Can you wait just half an hour for me?”
There was a short silence on the other end, and Karen’s voice turned colder.
“An errand? What could be more important than our transfer? Don’t play any games with me, Evelyn.”
His suspicion was blatant. Clearly, he had never truly trusted me from the start.
“As if I would dare,” I softened my voice, feigning grievance. “It’s about the warehouse my parents left me. There seems to be a problem over there. I’ll check it out and be right back, I promise. It won’t delay anything.”
I deliberately mentioned the warehouse to test his reaction.
Sure enough, Karen paused, then returned to his gentle tone — though it now dripped with even deeper greed.
“The warehouse? What’s wrong? Do you want me to come with you? Don’t get yourself into trouble.”
He clearly wanted to seize the chance to scope out the warehouse. In my past life, that was exactly how he had tricked the address out of me, little by little.
“No need,” I refused with a sweet, playful smile. “It’s just a small issue. I can handle it myself. Just wait for me at the bank. I’ll be there soon.”
Before he could press further, I hung up in a hurry and hurried toward the parking lot.
The second the call ended, the smile vanished from my face, leaving only icy coldness in my eyes. Karen’s eagerness only confirmed my suspicion: he had long coveted what was in the warehouse, just never had the chance. This time, I would not let him succeed. I would even use his greed to dig a trap for him.
On the drive to the warehouse, I sent Luna a message:
“Luna, I need you to look into two things, as fast as possible. First, the unknown number that threatened me. Second, who Karen owes gambling debts to. Message me immediately when you find out. Also, our meeting this afternoon might be delayed. I’ll let you know the new time.”
The car left the city behind. The closer I got to the warehouse, the more desolate the surroundings became. Abandoned factories lined the road, overgrown with weeds. Occasionally, a few stray dogs darted past, growling lowly. The sour, rotten stench in the air grew stronger, making my stomach churn.
Ten minutes later, I arrived at the warehouse gate. It was exactly as shown in the mysterious man’s photo: four tall, stern men in black suits stood guard, hands behind their backs. A faint bulge at their waists revealed what they were — guns.
I parked the car, took a deep breath to calm my nerves, and stepped out.
The lead man stepped forward, scanning me with cold eyes, his voice flat.
“Evelyn Thorne? You came alone?”
“What else?” I forced myself calm, lifting my chin to meet his gaze, deliberately showing a hint of disdain. “You wanted the warehouse, and I’m here. Now, can you tell me who you are and why you’re trying to take my parents’ warehouse?”
The man in black let out a cold laugh, ignoring my question. He simply gestured for me to enter.
“Our boss is waiting for you inside. We’ll talk there.”
His tone left no room for argument. Clearly, they had no intention of wasting words on me.
My heart tightened. I knew it was a trap. But I had no choice. The warehouse held documents left by my parents, and possibly more secrets to activating the space. I had to go in. Besides, I intended to find out who this mysterious mastermind really was.
- Writer
