CHAPTER 10
530 Words
The office felt too quiet, almost oppressive. I kept glancing at the door Damian had left through, my mind racing with every possible scenario. Who could be sending these messages? And why now, after all this time?
Maya’s presence was steady beside me, but even she couldn’t mask the unease in the air. “We need to check Damian’s schedule,” she said quietly, flipping through one of the files. “See if anything looks… off. Someone might be trying to trap him.”
I nodded, tension tightening my chest. “Trap him… or me.”
Before we could dig deeper, my phone buzzed again. I froze. It was the same unknown number. The message was short, chilling: You’re in deeper than you know. Stop or it’ll be too late.
My hand trembled as I set the phone down. Maya’s eyes flicked to mine. “Do you think it’s Kira?”
I shook my head. “It feels bigger than that. She’s petty, yes… but this? Whoever this is… they want control. And they’re not playing games.”
The sound of the elevator made us both jump. I turned, expecting Damian to walk in—but it wasn’t him.
It was Kira.
Her smile was cold, precise, and somehow knowing. “Hello, Allison,” she said, her tone dripping with calm menace. “We need to talk.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the room shrink around me. My instincts screamed at me to run, but I couldn’t—not with Damian’s warnings and the weight of everything he’d told me.
“What do you want?” I asked, trying to sound confident, though my voice wavered.
Kira’s gaze didn’t leave mine. “Just a little… clarification. You seem to be interfering with things that don’t concern you.”
I clenched my fists under the desk, refusing to show fear. “I’m not interfering. I’m surviving.”
Her laugh was soft, almost musical—but it sent shivers down my spine. “Surviving isn’t enough, Allison. Not when people like us are involved. You have no idea what’s coming.”
I could feel her eyes drilling into me, seeing everything I tried to hide. And in that moment, I realized she wasn’t bluffing. Whoever she was working for—or protecting—was serious. Deadly serious.
Before I could respond, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her smile widened. “Looks like my work here is done… for now. But remember, Allison: you’ve been warned.”
She turned and walked out, the click of her heels echoing in the empty office. My heart pounded.
Maya grabbed my arm. “That was Kira. You saw what she said. This isn’t just about her—there’s someone else pulling strings.”
I nodded, dread pooling in my stomach. “And I have a feeling we’re next.”
Just as I was about to grab my phone to warn Damian, a new message appeared on the screen. From an unknown number, just like before: She’s not the only one watching. Look behind you.
I froze. My blood ran cold. Slowly, I turned…
And the shadow in the corner of the room moved.
- Writer
