FINDING YOU , LOVING ME

THE NAME ON THE WALL

CHAPTER 14

The Name on the Wall

Mia's POV

I couldn't stop staring at the photograph.

Elena.

1999.

She looked so young, standing beside Daniel Reyes and Adrian's father.

But there was something else that bothered me.

The expression on her face.

She wasn't smiling.

She looked worried.

As if she already knew that something terrible was going to happen.

"Where did this photograph come from?" Ethan asked his mother.

She shook her head.

"I don't know."

"But you recognized Elena."

"Of course I did."

"Then why didn't you tell us she was involved from the beginning?"

His mother sighed.

"Because I promised your father."

"Promised him what?"

"That I would never talk about 1999."

I looked at Ethan.

"Why?"

His mother looked toward the window.

"Because some promises are made to protect people."

I quietly asked,

"Or to hide the truth?"

She looked at me.

"Sometimes they're the same thing."

---

The next afternoon, Ethan and I returned to The Book Nook.

Mrs. Clara was organizing old records behind the counter.

When she saw us, she immediately knew why we were there.

"You're looking for answers again."

"We need to know about 1999," Ethan said.

She stopped.

"I was afraid you'd ask."

"Please," I said. "We've already discovered too much to stop now."

Mrs. Clara sighed.

"Come with me."

She led us toward the oldest part of the bookstore.

Behind a row of shelves was a narrow staircase I'd never noticed before.

"Where does this go?"

"Up."

We followed her.

At the top was a small room filled with old boxes.

Mrs. Clara walked toward the wall.

She touched a small wooden panel.

Then she moved it aside.

Behind it was a faded inscription carved into the wall.

D.R. — E.R. — A.R.

I stared at it.

"Daniel Reyes."

"Elena Reyes."

"Adrian Reyes," Ethan added.

Mrs. Clara nodded.

"They carved those initials when they first started working together."

"They were friends?"

"At first."

"What happened?"

"Money changed everything."

I looked at the wall.

There was another name beneath the initials.

One I'd never seen before.

LUCAS.

"Who's Lucas?"

Mrs. Clara suddenly became quiet.

"I don't know."

"But his name is here."

She shook her head.

"Your father told me never to mention him."

I looked at Ethan.

"Your father knew him?"

"Apparently."

Mrs. Clara walked away.

"We should leave."

"No."

I pointed at the wall.

"Who is Lucas?"

She stopped.

After a long silence, she said:

"Lucas was Daniel's business partner before Adrian's father."

"Why did he leave?"

"He didn't."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He disappeared."

My heart sank.

"Like my father?"

"Yes."

Ethan looked at the wall.

"How many people disappeared because of this?"

Mrs. Clara didn't answer.

That was answer enough.

---

We searched the room.

Eventually, I found an old ledger.

Most of the pages were filled with business transactions.

But one page had been torn out.

At the bottom was a handwritten note:

"Lucas knew the truth."

I looked at Ethan.

"Again with the truth."

He carefully turned the ledger over.

A small envelope was hidden inside the back cover.

My hands trembled as I opened it.

Inside was a single photograph.

Lucas.

He was standing beside a younger Elena.

On the back was an address.

Ethan immediately pulled out his phone.

"I'll check it."

A few seconds later, he looked up.

"The address doesn't exist anymore."

"Of course."

But then he noticed something else.

"Wait."

There was a second line beneath the address.

"Ask at the old train station."

I looked at him.

"Train station?"

"Looks like we're taking a trip."

---

The old train station had been abandoned for years.

We arrived just before sunset.

The place was quiet.

Dust covered the benches.

Old posters hung from the walls.

We walked inside.

"Who are we supposed to ask?" I whispered.

"I don't know."

Then I saw something.

A small star.

Carved into one of the wooden pillars.

I walked toward it.

Underneath the star were two letters.

L.R.

"L.R."

Ethan stared at it.

"Lucas Reyes?"

"Maybe."

We searched around the pillar.

Then Ethan found a loose wooden board.

Behind it was a small metal box.

Inside was another letter.

This one was dated:

October 12, 1999.

I opened it.

There were only three sentences.

"Daniel, if you're reading this, don't trust Adrian."

"Elena knows where the documents are."

"And Lucas isn't dead."

My heart stopped.

I looked at Ethan.

"Lucas is alive."

He nodded slowly.

"Then where is he?"

Before we could answer, we heard footsteps behind us.

We turned.

An elderly man stood at the entrance.

He looked at us for a long moment.

Then his eyes fell on the letter.

His expression changed.

"You found it."

Ethan stepped forward.

"Who are you?"

The man looked at him.

"My name is Lucas."

I stared at him.

The missing man from 1999 was standing right in front of us.

Lucas looked at me.

Then he smiled sadly.

"You must be Mia."

I froze.

"How do you know my name?"

He glanced at the letter.

"Because your father told me."

I felt my heart race.

"You knew my father?"

Lucas nodded.

"I knew him very well."

"Where is he?"

Lucas's expression became serious.

"That's the question I've been waiting for you to ask."

He looked toward the dark station behind us.

"Your father is alive."

I stopped breathing.

Ethan stared at him.

"Where?"

Lucas lowered his voice.

"Before I tell you that..."

He looked at the door.

"We need to make sure nobody followed you."

I turned toward the entrance.

A shadow moved outside.

Someone was watching us.

Lucas whispered:

"We're out of time."