CHAPTER 14: THE QUESTION WE AVOID
1677 Words
Sarah barely slept.
The stranger’s face kept returning to her.
The parking garage.
Daniel’s warning.
Michael’s fear.
And that name.
Adrian.
She sat on the edge of her bed as dawn slowly pushed through the curtains.
For years, she’d believed her marriage was complicated because Michael had become distant.
Now she wondered if distance had always been his way of hiding something.
Her phone lay beside her.
No messages from Michael.
None from Daniel.
For once, Sarah was grateful for the silence.
She needed to think.
But thinking only led her back to the same question.
What had Michael done?
⸻
By eight-thirty, Sarah was at the law firm.
She walked into her office and immediately noticed the envelope on her desk.
No name.
No stamp.
No explanation.
She locked the door behind her before picking it up.
Inside was a single sheet of paper.
You are asking the wrong questions.
Sarah’s heart began pounding.
She turned the paper over.
Nothing.
She read it again.
Then her phone vibrated.
An unknown number.
Stop digging into the past.
Sarah stared at the message.
Another arrived.
Some dead things should stay buried.
Her hands went cold.
She immediately called Daniel.
He answered on the second ring.
“Sarah.”
“Someone left a message in my office.”
Silence.
“What did it say?”
She read it to him.
Daniel’s breathing changed.
“Leave the office.”
“What?”
“Sarah, listen to me. Leave now.”
“Who is threatening me?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
“You knew someone was watching me yesterday.”
“I suspected.”
“And now someone is threatening me.”
“I know.”
Sarah stood.
“How?”
“Because this isn’t about you.”
She froze.
“What?”
Daniel’s voice became quieter.
“It’s about Michael.”
Sarah looked at the envelope.
“Then why are they threatening me?”
“Because you’re close to him.”
She swallowed.
“Or because I’m close to you?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
That silence made her heart race.
“Daniel.”
“Go somewhere public.”
“I’m at work.”
“Then leave the building.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t know who has access to your office.”
Sarah looked toward the door.
Suddenly, the entire room felt different.
Too quiet.
Too exposed.
She grabbed her handbag.
“I’m leaving.”
“Good.”
“Daniel?”
“Yes?”
“Did you really know about me before we met?”
Silence.
Then:
“Yes.”
Sarah stopped.
“How long?”
“I told you. Long enough.”
“That isn’t an answer.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“But you’re going to get one.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
“Why won’t you tell me now?”
“Because if I tell you everything at once, you’ll run.”
Sarah’s chest tightened.
“Maybe I should.”
“You should.”
The answer surprised her.
Daniel continued.
“But you won’t.”
Sarah closed her eyes.
“You sound very sure of yourself.”
“I know you better than you think.”
The call ended.
Sarah stood alone in her office.
That sentence followed her as she left.
⸻
She found Maya waiting near the elevator.
“You look terrible.”
“Thank you.”
“You know what I mean.”
Sarah forced a smile.
“I didn’t sleep.”
Maya studied her.
“Is this about the guy?”
Sarah pressed the elevator button.
“Everything is about something lately.”
Maya followed her inside.
“Sarah.”
“What?”
“You can tell me.”
Sarah hesitated.
Then shook her head.
“Not yet.”
The elevator doors opened.
Before Sarah stepped out, Maya caught her arm.
“Whatever you’re involved in…”
Sarah looked back.
“Be careful.”
Sarah nodded.
“I will.”
But as she walked toward the exit, she noticed something on the reception desk.
A photograph.
Her photograph.
Taken from across the street.
Sarah stopped breathing.
She picked it up.
It showed her leaving her apartment that morning.
Someone had been watching her.
Again.
On the back, written in black ink, were four words:
HE ISN’T YOUR ONLY ENEMY.
Sarah’s fingers tightened around the photograph.
She looked toward the glass doors.
Outside, the street was crowded.
Cars passed.
People walked.
Everything looked normal.
But Sarah no longer trusted normal.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from Daniel.
I told you to leave.
She stared at the screen.
Then looked through the glass.
Across the street stood Daniel.
Watching her.
His expression was unreadable.
Sarah’s heart skipped.
She stepped outside.
Daniel didn’t move.
He simply waited.
And for the first time, Sarah understood something that frightened her more than the threats.
Daniel wasn’t just watching her.
He was protecting her from something he had helped create.
Sarah crossed the street.
Daniel watched her approach without moving.
“What are you doing here?”
“Making sure you’re safe.”
“You were watching me.”
“Yes.”
“At my office?”
“Yes.”
Sarah’s eyes narrowed.
“You really don’t understand boundaries, do you?”
“No.”
The blunt answer caught her off guard.
Daniel stepped closer.
“But I’m not going to apologize for watching you.”
“You should.”
“Maybe.”
He glanced at the photograph still in her hand.
“Where did you get that?”
“Someone left it on the reception desk.”
Daniel took it from her.
His expression changed the moment he saw it.
Sarah noticed.
“You recognize the photograph.”
“Yes.”
“Who took it?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying again.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Sarah, there are things happening that even I didn’t anticipate.”
She folded her arms.
“That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“No.”
He handed the photograph back.
“It should make you careful.”
Sarah studied him.
“Who is threatening me?”
Daniel looked across the street.
“Someone who wants Michael frightened.”
“Why?”
“Because fear makes people careless.”
“And Michael is scared?”
Daniel gave a humorless smile.
“Terrified.”
Sarah’s stomach tightened.
“You enjoy this.”
Daniel looked at her.
“Watching him lose control?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe.”
He stepped closer.
“But I never wanted you caught in the middle.”
Sarah laughed bitterly.
“Yet here I am.”
“I know.”
“You planned to use me against him.”
Daniel’s jaw tightened.
“At first.”
“And now?”
He looked directly into her eyes.
“Now you’re the one thing I didn’t plan for.”
Sarah’s heart betrayed her with a hard beat.
She hated that those words still affected her.
“Daniel…”
“I know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?”
“You’ll tell me this is wrong.”
“It is.”
“You’ll tell me I’m dangerous.”
“You are.”
“You’ll tell me to leave you alone.”
Sarah hesitated.
Daniel’s eyes dropped briefly to her lips.
“But you won’t.”
Sarah’s breath caught.
“Stop pretending you know me.”
“I don’t pretend.”
He stepped closer.
“I’ve spent months learning you.”
Sarah froze.
“Months?”
Daniel realized his mistake.
His expression changed.
Sarah stared at him.
“You said you knew about me before we met.”
“Yes.”
“How long have you been watching me?”
Daniel didn’t answer.
“Daniel.”
“Long enough to know you were unhappy.”
Her chest tightened.
“Long enough to know Michael wasn’t giving you what you needed.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“I know.”
“You researched me.”
“Yes.”
“You followed me.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about my marriage.”
“Yes.”
Sarah’s voice became quieter.
“You planned the night we met.”
Daniel’s silence was devastating.
Sarah stepped backward.
“You did.”
“I arranged the opportunity.”
Her eyes filled with disbelief.
“What does that mean?”
“It means I wanted you to meet me.”
“But I didn’t know you.”
“No.”
“You manipulated me.”
“I created an opportunity.”
“You manipulated me.”
Daniel looked away.
Sarah’s anger rose.
“You made me believe everything was spontaneous.”
“I never forced you to do anything.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
“I know.”
For once, Daniel didn’t defend himself.
Sarah stared at him.
“Why me?”
His eyes returned to hers.
“Because you’re Michael’s wife.”
The answer hurt.
Sarah swallowed.
“And now?”
Daniel’s expression softened.
“Now you’re Sarah.”
She hated how much that answer affected her.
She turned away.
“I need to go.”
Daniel caught her wrist gently.
She looked down at his hand.
He immediately released her.
“I’m sorry.”
Sarah looked at him.
“Don’t touch me unless I let you.”
Daniel nodded.
“Understood.”
She walked away.
After several steps, she stopped.
“Daniel?”
“Yes?”
She didn’t turn around.
“If you really care about me…”
Her voice trembled.
“Tell me the truth before someone else does.”
Daniel’s face hardened.
“I will.”
Sarah continued walking.
Her phone vibrated.
A message from an unknown number.
Ask Daniel what happened the night Adrian died.
Sarah stopped.
Another message appeared.
Then ask him why Michael wasn’t the only one who lied.
Sarah slowly turned around.
Daniel was still standing across the street.
Watching her.
But for the first time…
he looked afraid.
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