Entangled

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Chapter Three

I couldn't stop thinking about what Marcus had told me.

Something happened that night.

Something I couldn't remember.

And somehow, Adrian knew about it.

But he didn't want me to know.

The question was—why?

I barely listened during class. The teacher's voice became nothing more than background noise as my mind kept returning to the same thought.

What happened in my room that night?

Every time I tried to remember, my mind went blank.

It was like there was a missing piece in my memory—a piece someone didn't want me to find.

And the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I became.

Then there was Marcus.

Marcus had always been a good friend to me. He had been there when I needed someone to talk to, and lately, I'd started noticing little things about the way he behaved around me.

The way he looked at me when he thought I wasn't paying attention.

The way he always seemed to find an excuse to sit beside me.

The way his voice changed whenever we talked about Adrian.

I had a feeling Marcus liked me.

Maybe more than a friend.

But if that was true, could I really trust him?

I hated that I was even thinking that way.

Marcus had never given me a reason to doubt him.

Adrian had.

More than once.

Adrian was supposed to be my enemy. Someone I was never supposed to get close to. Someone my family had warned me about.

And yet, somehow, he seemed to know more about what was happening than anyone else.

That scared me.

But what scared me even more was the fact that I was starting to wonder if Adrian had been protecting me instead of threatening me.

When the bell finally rang, I packed my books quickly.

I needed answers.

I walked back to my room.

The hallway was almost empty, and my footsteps echoed against the walls.

I unlocked my door and stepped inside.

Everything looked normal.

My bed was still messy.

My books were scattered across the desk.

My curtains were open.

Nothing seemed out of place.

I almost relaxed.

Then I noticed something.

My window was unlocked.

I froze.

I was sure I'd locked it before going to sleep.

Slowly, I walked toward it.

My eyes moved around the room.

Nothing.

Then I noticed something lying on the floor beneath the window.

A small piece of black paper.

I bent down and picked it up.

There was only one sentence written on it.

You should have listened to Adrian.

My heart dropped.

Someone had been in my room.

I looked around quickly.

"Who's there?"

Silence.

I checked the bathroom.

Empty.

I looked behind the door.

Nothing.

I stepped back into the room, my heart pounding.

A cold feeling ran down my spine.

I was about to convince myself that I was imagining things when my phone vibrated.

I nearly dropped the paper.

I looked at the screen.

Unknown Number.

I opened the message.

Stop looking into that night.

My hands went cold.

Before I could even process it, another message appeared.

You won't like what you find.

I stared at the screen.

Someone knew what I was doing.

Someone knew I was asking questions.

But how?

I hadn't told anyone.

At least, I didn't think I had.

Then I heard footsteps outside my door.

Slow.

Careful.

Someone stopped directly outside.

I didn't move.

The door handle slowly turned.

I stepped backward.

The door opened.

"Elena?"

I almost screamed.

It was Adrian.

He stood in the doorway, staring at me.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then his eyes moved toward the black paper in my hand.

His entire expression changed.

"Where did you get that?"

I swallowed.

"Someone left it under my window."

Adrian stepped into the room.

"Give it to me."

"No."

His eyes narrowed.

"Elena."

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

I held the paper tighter.

"Why are you so scared of this?"

He looked away.

For the first time since I'd known him, Adrian didn't look angry.

He looked worried.

Genuinely worried.

"Because you don't understand what you're getting yourself into."

"Then explain it to me."

He stayed silent.

"Adrian."

He finally looked at me.

"I warned you."

"About what?"

He took a step closer.

"About me."

I stared at him.

"What does that mean?"

Before he could answer, his phone rang.

He looked at the screen.

His expression immediately changed.

"Who is it?" I asked.

He ignored me and answered the call.

"Hello?"

Silence.

Adrian's face slowly lost its color.

"How did you get this number?"

I couldn't hear the voice on the other end.

But I could see the fear in Adrian's eyes.

He slowly lowered the phone.

"What happened?" I asked.

He looked at me.

Then at the piece of paper in my hand.

"They know you're asking questions," he whispered.

My stomach tightened.

"Who?"

Adrian didn't answer.

He simply turned toward the door.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"Where are you going?"

He looked back at me.

"Somewhere you can't follow me."

Then he left.

I stood there completely confused.

I looked down at the paper again.

Something about it didn't feel right.

I turned it over.

And froze.

There was something written on the back.

Something I hadn't noticed before.

Three words.

Ask Marcus why.

My heart began to pound.

Marcus?

Why would the message tell me to ask Marcus?

What did he know?

And suddenly, I wasn't sure who I could trust anymore.

Marcus had always been the safe choice.

The person I could talk to.

The person who made me feel like I wasn't alone.

But what if that was exactly what someone wanted me to believe?

I sat slowly on the edge of my bed.

My mind was racing.

There were too many questions.

What really happened that night?

Why couldn't I remember it?

Why did Adrian know about it?

Who had entered my room?

Who was sending me these messages?

And most importantly...

Why was someone watching me?

I looked toward the window.

The curtains moved slightly in the breeze.

For a second, I thought I saw a shadow outside.

I stood up quickly.

I rushed toward the window and looked outside.

Nothing.

Just the empty grounds.

I closed the window and locked it.

Then I stepped away.

Maybe I was imagining things.

Or maybe someone really was watching me.

I didn't know which possibility was worse.

My phone vibrated again.

I looked at the screen.

Another message from the unknown number.

This time, there was no warning.

Just one sentence.

You trusted the wrong person.

I stared at the message.

My heart sank.

Because now I had no idea who that person was.

Marcus?

Adrian?

Or someone else entirely?

For the first time, I realized something.

Maybe the real danger wasn't knowing the truth.

Maybe it was finding out who had been lying to me all along.