Room For One More

CHAPTER SEVEN : Warnings And Whispers

I read the screen again, reading the message.

Stay in your own lane before getting burned.

My heart jumped. No name. No clue. Just threat masquerading as darkness.

I blocked the number. Quickly. But the words lingered like smoke.

Was it Cassandra?

No. I couldn't think that. I didn't want to.

But her tone, her smile, her little shot at Aiden… it all fit too well.

I suppressed the thought. Monday was days off, and I needed sleep, not mistrust.

But sleep never came.

When I strode into ColeTech on Monday morning, my wires were steel-coated and caffeine-fueled. My ID badge hanging around my neck burned like a brand.

"Welcome to the team," a voice spoke up. Friendly. Routine.

I smiled. Tried to accept it.

The design team had been glass-walled and filled with soft whispers, graphics on screens, and the soothing hum of creativity. My mayhem.

Aiden flashed once. No words. Just a glance. A flash of warmth. Gone in a second.

But Cassandra? She lingered. In meetings. In the hallways. Always hovering. Always near.

By lunchtime, she cornered me by the coffee bar.

"Getting used to?" she asked, voice dripping with sweetness.

"Do my best."

She leaned in, close enough. "Do your best, Elena. That's all anyone expects."

Then her smile dropped.

"But just remember — some rooms should stay locked. Not everything needs to be opened."

She turned away like nothing occurred.

But my hands were shaking out of control.

And when I got back to my desk.

There was a note.

Room 408. One more time?