Entangled

Danger gets closer

Chapter Four



Something about Adrian wasn't right.



But the worst part was that I couldn't decide whether I was afraid of him...



Or afraid for him.



The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual.



The first thing I did was reach for my phone.



I was expecting a message.



Anything.



But there was nothing.



No messages.



No missed calls.



I stared at the screen for a few seconds, feeling strangely disappointed.



Why was I expecting Adrian to text me?



I pushed the thought away and got out of bed.



By the time I arrived at school, the hallway was already crowded. Students were laughing, talking, and rushing toward their classrooms.



Everything looked normal.



But something didn't feel normal to me.



I looked around for Marcus.



He wasn't there.



I checked the classroom.



Still nothing.



I sat down and waited.



Five minutes passed.



Then ten.



Marcus never came.



That wasn't like him.



I pulled out my phone and sent him a message.



Where are you?



I waited.



No reply.



I tried calling.



His phone was switched off.



A strange feeling settled in my stomach.



Something was wrong.



Before I could think about it any further, someone placed a folded piece of paper on my desk.



I looked up.



Nobody was standing there.



Slowly, I picked it up and unfolded it.



There were only three words.



Don't trust Adrian.



My heart started beating faster.



Again?



Who kept leaving these messages?



And how did they know I was talking to Adrian?



I quickly folded the paper and slipped it inside my notebook.



Then I heard a voice behind me.



"You're looking for Marcus."



I froze.



I turned around.



Adrian was standing there.



I stared at him.



"How do you know?"



He didn't answer.



Instead, his eyes moved toward my notebook.



"What did you just put away?"



"Nothing."



His eyes returned to mine.



"You shouldn't lie to me, Elena."



I felt annoyed.



"And you shouldn't keep secrets from me."



For a moment, neither of us spoke.



Something changed in his expression.



He looked almost worried.



Then he lowered his voice.



"Where did you get it?"



I hesitated.



"Get what?"



"The note."



My heart seemed to stop.



He knew.



But how?



"How do you always know what's going on?" I asked.



Adrian glanced toward the classroom door before looking back at me.



"Because I've seen that handwriting before."



I frowned.



"Where?"



He didn't answer immediately.



For a few seconds, he just stared at me.



Then he whispered,



"Three years ago."



A chill ran through me.



"What happened three years ago?"



His expression darkened.



"Something you weren't supposed to remember."



I swallowed.



"What does that have to do with me?"



Adrian opened his mouth to answer.



But before he could, the classroom door opened.



Marcus walked in.



He looked pale.



Almost frightened.



He stopped when he saw Adrian standing beside me.



"You're here," Adrian said.



Marcus looked at him but didn't respond.



"Where were you?" Adrian asked.



Still nothing.



Marcus finally looked at me.



"Elena, we need to talk."



"About what?"



His eyes moved toward Adrian.



"Alone."



Adrian's jaw tightened.



"Whatever you have to say, you can say it here."



Marcus shook his head.



"No."



He looked at me again.



"It's about that night."



My stomach dropped.



"What about it?"



Marcus took a shaky breath.



"You weren't supposed to remember anything."



The noise in the classroom seemed to disappear.



I stared at him.



"What are you talking about?"



Marcus looked frightened.



Then his eyes moved toward Adrian.



Adrian's face had gone completely still.



That scared me more than anything.



Because he wasn't surprised.



He already knew.



I turned back to Marcus.



"Tell me."



Marcus hesitated.



Then he said quietly,



"Because, Elena..."



He paused.



"You weren't alone in that room."



I couldn't breathe for a moment.



"What do you mean?"



Marcus looked at Adrian.



Adrian's expression hardened.



"Marcus."



His voice was low.



"Don't."



But Marcus continued.



"There was someone else there."



My hands went cold.



"Who?"



Neither of them answered.



"Who was in my room?" I demanded.



Silence.



Then my phone vibrated.



I looked down.



A new message.



My fingers trembled as I unlocked my phone.



There was no text.



Just a photograph.



I opened it.



My heart dropped.



It was a picture of me.



Standing outside my bedroom.



At night.



The same night I couldn't remember.



I stared at the photograph, trying to understand how someone could have taken it.



Then I noticed something.



In the corner of the picture, behind me, there was a shadow.



Someone was standing near the edge of the room.



Someone I couldn't identify.



My breathing became shallow.



I zoomed in.



The image became blurry, but I could still make out the outline of a person.



I looked up at Adrian.



He was staring at my phone.



His face had lost all color.



"You know who that is," I whispered.



He didn't answer.



"Adrian."



Still nothing.



"Who is it?"



He finally looked at me.



And for the first time since I'd met him, he looked genuinely afraid.



Then another notification appeared.



I looked down.



There was a message underneath the photograph.



You still haven't remembered everything.



My hands started shaking.



I looked at Marcus.



Then at Adrian.



Neither of them spoke.



And suddenly, I realized something.



Maybe the question wasn't what happened that night.



Maybe the real question was...



Why had everyone worked so hard to make me forget it?