The Unknown Caller
1088 Words
The message stayed on Alexander’s phone like a quiet threat.
“If you want to know what really happened to him… ask your wife.”
Elena stared at the screen, her fingers slowly turning cold.
For a moment, the noise of the ballroom faded into the background.
The music.
The conversations.
Even the soft clinking of glasses.
Everything felt distant.
Because there was only one thought running through her mind.
Someone knew.
Alexander watched her carefully.
He had seen fear before—fear in negotiations, fear in boardrooms, fear when people realized they had lost against him.
But the fear on Elena’s face was different.
It wasn’t the fear of being exposed.
It was the fear of something coming back.
“Elena.”
His voice was calm.
But firm enough to pull her out of her thoughts.
She blinked.
“Yes?”
Alexander lifted the phone slightly.
“Do you want to explain this?”
Elena looked at the message again.
Her throat felt tight.
“I don’t know who sent that.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
She met his eyes.
He wasn’t angry.
He wasn’t accusing her.
But he was waiting.
And Alexander Hale was not the kind of man who liked unanswered questions.
Elena looked away first.
The ballroom suddenly felt too crowded.
“Can we go somewhere else?” she asked quietly.
Alexander studied her face for a moment.
Then he nodded.
“Come with me.”
He guided her away from the guests, through a side hallway that led to a quieter part of the building.
The noise from the party faded behind them.
After a few minutes, they stepped onto a private balcony overlooking the city.
Cool night air brushed against Elena’s skin.
She exhaled slowly.
The lights of the city stretched endlessly below them.
It was beautiful.
But right now, Elena barely noticed.
Alexander leaned casually against the railing.
“Start talking.”
Elena gave a small, tired laugh.
“You really don’t waste time.”
“No.”
She wrapped her arms around herself.
“You saw the photo.”
“Yes.”
“That man…” she hesitated.
“…his name is Marcus.”
Alexander didn’t react, but he was listening closely.
“We met in college,” she continued.
“He was two years older than me.”
“Were you serious?”
Elena nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Her voice softened slightly.
“At that time… I thought we would end up together.”
Alexander’s gaze sharpened just a little.
“What happened?”
Elena was quiet for several seconds.
“I thought you didn’t care about romance,” she said.
“I don’t.”
“Then why are you asking?”
Alexander didn’t hesitate.
“Because the media thinks your ex-boyfriend disappeared.”
The word disappeared hung in the air.
Elena closed her eyes briefly.
“It wasn’t like that.”
“Then what was it like?”
She looked at the city again.
The memory came back too easily.
The argument.
The anger.
The last time she saw Marcus.
“We had a fight,” she said quietly.
Alexander waited.
“It was a stupid fight,” she continued.
“About the future. About work. About… everything.”
“And?”
“He left.”
“Left where?”
“I don’t know.”
Alexander frowned slightly.
“You never saw him again?”
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
“Did you try to contact him?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“He never answered.”
Alexander watched her carefully.
“Then why does this article say he’s been missing for three years?”
Elena’s voice dropped.
“Because that was the last time anyone saw him.”
Silence filled the balcony.
A cold wind moved through the night air.
Alexander crossed his arms slightly.
“So according to the media,” he said calmly, “your ex-boyfriend disappeared right after your argument.”
Elena winced.
“When you say it like that, it sounds terrible.”
“It sounds suspicious.”
She rubbed her temples.
“I didn’t do anything to him.”
“I didn’t say you did.”
“But that’s exactly what people are going to think.”
Alexander didn’t deny it.
Because she was right.
Elena looked back at the city.
“I spent months wondering if he was okay.”
“Did the police investigate?”
“They talked to me once.”
“And?”
“They concluded he probably left the country.”
“Without telling anyone?”
Elena sighed.
“Marcus was… complicated.”
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
“That’s one way to describe a man who disappears.”
She glanced at him.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“No.”
“Really?”
“I’m analyzing it.”
Elena groaned softly.
“You sound like a detective.”
“I run companies,” Alexander replied calmly. “Suspicious situations are part of the job.”
Before Elena could respond—
his phone vibrated again.
Alexander looked at the screen.
Another message.
From the same unknown number.
He showed it to Elena.
This time the message was even shorter.
“Did she tell you the truth?”
Elena’s heart started beating faster.
“This person knows about Marcus,” she whispered.
Alexander typed something quickly.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Replying.”
“You’re replying?”
“Yes.”
“That might be a bad idea.”
Alexander didn’t look concerned.
“People who hide behind anonymous messages usually want attention.”
“And you’re giving it to them.”
“No,” he said calmly.
“I’m forcing them to reveal themselves.”
The message he sent was simple.
“Who are you?”
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the phone vibrated again.
A reply appeared.
Elena leaned closer to read it.
Her stomach dropped instantly.
Because the message said:
“Ask your sister.”
Elena froze.
“My sister?”
Alexander watched her face carefully.
“You didn’t think of her?”
Elena shook her head slowly.
“No.”
But suddenly, the idea didn’t seem impossible.
Anna hated her.
Anna had already tried to humiliate her tonight.
Anna had every reason to start a scandal.
But there was still one problem.
“How would Anna know about Marcus?” Elena whispered.
Alexander’s expression grew thoughtful.
“That,” he said quietly,
“is exactly what we need to find out.”
- Writer
