Chapter Three — The Photograph
1423 Words
Amelia stared at Daniel as though she had forgotten how to breathe.
“A photograph of me?”
Daniel nodded.
“Where?”
“In your bedroom.”
Her stomach tightened.
“My bedroom?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I saw it myself.”
Amelia shook her head.
“I locked that apartment before I left.”
“I know.”
“Then how did someone get inside?”
Daniel didn't answer.
That frightened her more than anything else.
She looked toward her mother, who had followed them into the hallway.
“Mom?”
Her mother's face had gone pale.
“You need to listen to Daniel.”
Amelia looked back at him.
“What exactly was in the photograph?”
“A picture of you.”
“I know that.”
“Not an old picture.”
She frowned.
“What do you mean?”
Daniel stepped closer.
“It was taken recently.”
Amelia's heart skipped.
“Recently?”
“Within the last few days.”
A cold sensation moved through her.
She had spent the past three weeks in London.
Someone had been watching her.
The realization settled over her like ice.
“Who took it?”
“I don't know.”
“Then how do you know it was taken recently?”
“Because of what you're wearing.”
Amelia stared at him.
“What was I wearing?”
“A blue coat.”
She swallowed.
“That was yesterday.”
Daniel's eyes remained fixed on hers.
“Exactly.”
Silence.
Her mother covered her mouth.
Amelia suddenly felt exposed, as though invisible eyes were still following her.
“Did the police see it?”
“They're on their way.”
“Then why are we standing here?”
Daniel reached for her suitcase.
“Because you're not going back there.”
“I wasn't planning to.”
“You don't understand.”
His voice had hardened.
“This isn't about someone breaking into an empty apartment.”
Amelia looked at him.
“Then what is it about?”
Daniel hesitated.
“Someone wanted you to know they could reach you.”
Her pulse quickened.
“Why me?”
“I don't know yet.”
“You've been investigating this for seven years. You must know something.”
His expression changed.
“I know enough to be worried.”
Before Amelia could respond, a loud crash came from upstairs.
Her mother screamed.
Daniel immediately moved in front of Amelia.
“Stay here.”
“What was that?”
“I said stay here.”
He disappeared up the staircase.
Amelia ignored his instruction and followed.
“Daniel!”
He turned.
“Amelia, go back downstairs.”
“No.”
“You don't know what's up here.”
“And neither do you.”
They reached the hallway.
One of the bedroom doors stood open.
Amelia recognized it immediately.
Her old bedroom.
Daniel pushed the door wider.
Nothing appeared disturbed.
Then Amelia saw the desk.
The wooden box she had carried from London was sitting on it.
Her blood ran cold.
“I didn't put that there.”
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“You brought it with you?”
“Yes.”
“Where was it?”
“In my suitcase.”
He approached the desk slowly.
The box was open.
The photograph she had held that morning was gone.
Amelia's breath caught.
“No.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“The photograph.”
“What photograph?”
“The one I showed you.”
“I didn't see it.”
She stepped toward the desk.
“It was here.”
Daniel looked inside the box.
The letters remained.
The silver bracelet remained.
The dried rose remained.
Only the photograph was missing.
Then Amelia noticed something beneath the box.
A folded piece of paper.
She reached for it.
Daniel caught her wrist.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“We don't know if it was left by the person who broke in.”
“That doesn't mean I shouldn't read it.”
“Amelia—”
She pulled her hand free.
“I've spent seven years being kept in the dark.”
Her voice shook.
“I'm done letting people decide what I deserve to know.”
She unfolded the paper.
There was only one sentence.
You should have stayed away.
Amelia stared at the words.
Daniel took the paper from her.
His expression became grim.
“That's not all.”
He turned it over.
On the back was a date.
October 14.
Amelia frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Daniel didn't answer.
“Daniel?”
He looked at her.
“That was the night we separated.”
Her heart stopped.
She remembered it instantly.
October 14.
Rain.
Her father's furious voice.
Daniel standing beneath the porch light.
And the words that had destroyed her.
I don't love you anymore.
Amelia took a step backward.
“Why would someone write that?”
Daniel's eyes darkened.
“Because they know what happened that night.”
“And you do too.”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me.”
He looked away.
“Not here.”
Amelia laughed bitterly.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because whoever did this may still be watching.”
“Then let them watch.”
Her voice broke.
“I want the truth.”
Daniel looked at her for a long moment.
Then he finally spoke.
“The night we separated, I received a photograph.”
Amelia froze.
“What photograph?”
“Of you.”
Her heart pounded.
“Where?”
“You were standing outside your university.”
She stared at him.
“I remember that.”
“I was told that if I didn't leave you, the next photograph would be taken somewhere much worse.”
Amelia's lips parted.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the person who sent it knew things about you that nobody should have known.”
He stepped closer.
“They knew where you lived. They knew your schedule. They knew when you left campus.”
Amelia's eyes filled with tears.
“And you thought breaking my heart would protect me?”
“I thought making you hate me would keep you alive.”
Her tears fell.
“You could have trusted me.”
“I couldn't risk it.”
“You didn't even give me a choice.”
“I know.”
“And for seven years?”
Daniel's voice softened.
“I watched from a distance.”
Amelia stared at him.
“You watched me?”
“Whenever I could.”
Something inside her broke.
All those years, she had believed he had moved on.
Believed she had meant nothing.
Believed she had been the only one carrying their memories.
“You should have told me.”
“I wanted to.”
“Then why didn't you?”
Daniel's eyes met hers.
“Because the threat never stopped.”
Silence.
Amelia wiped her tears.
“What threat?”
Daniel reached into his coat and pulled out his phone.
He opened a photograph.
“Look.”
She stared at the screen.
It showed her standing outside a café in London.
Wearing the same blue coat she had worn the previous day.
Amelia's blood turned cold.
“When was this taken?”
“Yesterday.”
Her fingers trembled.
“Who sent it?”
Daniel's face hardened.
“That number has been sending me photographs for three weeks.”
“Three weeks?”
“Yes.”
“Of me?”
“Only you.”
Amelia stared at him.
Then her phone vibrated.
Everyone in the room froze.
She looked at the screen.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
A message appeared.
Her hands trembled as she opened it.
There was no text.
Only a photograph.
Amelia's breath caught.
It was a picture of her standing beside Daniel in the hallway.
It had been taken only seconds ago.
Below the photograph were six words:
You should have listened seven years ago.
Daniel looked at the screen.
For the first time since Amelia had seen him again, genuine fear crossed his face.
He grabbed her hand.
“We're leaving.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere they can't find you.”
Before Amelia could respond, another message arrived.
This time, there were only four words.
Ask your father why.
Amelia slowly looked toward the doorway.
Her father was standing there.
And from the expression on his face, he already knew exactly who had sent the message.
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