The Dark Side Of Fate

To Sam Street ~Liam~ I felt uneasy about how to handle sharing and discussing the text message.

I worried that mentioning Sophia might trouble Josephine, even though I knew she was resilient.

But I also feared that it could set back the progress we had made so far.

Instead of announcing the text to everyone, I decided to talk to Josephine first.

“Hey,” I said, linking her, and she turned to face me, her brow furrowing.

I expected this reaction, as linking in close proximity was reserved for private discussions.

“I want to show you something,” I said, handing her my phone with the text message.

She took the phone, read the message, and then returned it to me.

“The team should know,” she linked back, and I observed her carefully.

“It wouldn’t bother you?” I asked to be sure.

I was still new to this relationship thing and didn’t want to make any mistakes.

“Not at all, Liam.

We had our discussion this morning, and I’m confident that Sophia’s name won’t bother me anymore.

I promise,” she said with a smile and playfully punched my shoulder.

“I’m not that petty or jealous, Li,” she laughed, and I felt relieved.

“Attention, everyone; Li has something important to share,” Josephine declared, and a chuckle escaped me.

All eyes were on me, and I cleared my throat before speaking.

I put on a serious demeanour because the situation warranted it.

If they had Sophia’s mother’s phone, there was a possibility that something significant had occurred, and their circumstances might have altered.

Navigating through this with limited information wouldn’t be a simple task, but we must exercise utmost caution.

“I just received a text message from Sophia’s mother’s line, the same line she used to communicate with me,” I explained, passing my phone around so they could read the message.

“The last time she spoke to me, it was through Charlotte’s phone, as I hadn’t recovered my line back then,” I added.

Marvin was the first to ask a question.

“So why is she asking us not to search for her?” he inquired.

“That’s precisely my point.

If it were truly Sophia, she would have called instead of sending a text message.

of the message suggests an

it would have contained more helpful details,” I explained,

she just wants you to stay out of the matter to protect you? Sending a vague message would be the best way to ensure you have nothing to work with,” he suggested, and I nodded, understanding

have called me if it were really

messages; she’s more of a phone

enemy and needs to

might leave her no choice but to send a text message, Li,” he argued,

me to share my theory if I didn’t believe the message was from Sophia, giving me the opportunity

someone is trying to establish communication with

been too long without any word from her, making this

it were genuinely from her, it would have been sent

have also contained more details about her

put my mind at ease,”

we spoke was

of this message seems off, as if we’ve been in frequent

would likely have

message to a line that might still be switched off,” I concluded, and Charlotte nodded

been entirely clear, but I had a gut feeling that I was

message doesn’t

the other hand, had

by receiving this message, a line of communication has been opened between us and whoever

it leads us,” she suggested, using air

posing as Sophia must

confirm if it’s truly her or not, you should engage in conversation and

can wait for

she might cleverly mislead her captors

knows we’re searching for her, and her captors might have informed

them in her answers to help us uncover what’s really going on,” Josephine explained, perfectly echoing my

nodded, looking at her, and

about my

she’s just your friend, nothing more,” she assured

she added, but I could sense that Alex

to keep my

she noticed my momentary unease, but it was our

and safe,” Marvin expressed, echoing my

won’t dispose

is working for them, they won’t dare harm her, and if they have some ulterior motive involving her, they won’t dare

remain alive until they accomplish whatever they have planned,” Oliver pointed out, and his assessment was

that Sophia couldn’t reach out to me when she wanted,

safety and prayed that we could resolve this situation as

seeing the Gamma and the

how did they do?” he inquired, and we all laughed because it was clear that Justin had cleverly left

smart move

not directly conducting the questioning and making it a casual

accuse us of treating