The Strangers Identify
308 Words
The next morning, Ariana was surprised to receive a letter with no sender's name.
Inside was a single message:
"Be careful. Not everyone around you is your friend."
She looked around the office, confused.
"Who sent this?" she whispered.
Before she could think more about it, Adrian called her into his office.
"I have good news," he said with a smile. "Our project was approved. You'll be leading the next international project."
Ariana couldn't believe it.
"Thank you for trusting me."
"You earned it," Adrian replied.
Meanwhile, Ethan was trying to rebuild his life.
He had moved into a small apartment and focused on his work.
Although he still regretted losing Ariana, he knew he had no right to ask for another chance.
"I have to live with my mistakes," he told himself.
That evening, the mysterious black car stopped outside Sterling Group again.
A man stepped out.
He wore a dark coat and sunglasses.
He quietly entered the building.
As Ariana walked through the lobby, the man called her name.
"Ariana."
She turned around.
"I'm sorry... do I know you?"
The man removed his sunglasses.
"My name is Ryan Carter."
"I was Ethan's older brother."
Ariana froze.
"Ethan... never told me he had a brother."
Ryan nodded.
"We've been apart for years."
"I came back because I recently learned what happened between you and Ethan."
He looked at her seriously.
"I'm not here to hurt you."
"I'm here to warn you."
"Someone is trying to destroy Sterling Group... and you're their first target."
Before Ariana could ask another question, Ryan handed her a small envelope.
"Everything you need to know is inside."
Then he walked away.
Ariana slowly opened the envelope.
Inside were several photographs...
One of them showed a familiar face meeting secretly with someone outside the company.
Ariana's eyes widened in shock.
"It... can't be."
- Writer
