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.

vagueness of the message suggests an underlying

would have contained more helpful details,” I explained,

the possibility that 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

but she would have called me if it

of a

by the enemy and needs to secretly communicate with

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

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

trying to establish communication with me while

word from her, making this

her, it would have been sent to

would have also contained more details about her well-being before asking me

want to put my

we spoke was back

off, as if we’ve

likely have sent the message

wouldn’t risk sending a message to a line that might still be switched off,” I concluded, and

entirely clear, but I had a gut

understand your point, Li, but you’re right; this message doesn’t provide much

the other hand, had a different

of communication has been

it leads us,” she suggested, using air quotes when saying

is posing as Sophia must

truly her or not, you should engage in conversation and share specific details that

wait

captive, she might cleverly mislead her captors and provide

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

in her answers to help us uncover what’s really going on,” Josephine

nodded, looking at her,

to worry about my feelings when it comes

friend, nothing

added, but I could sense that Alex wasn’t entirely

I managed to keep my

my momentary unease, but it was our inside joke,

safe,” Marvin

dispose of her

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

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

comfort, but the idea that

safety and prayed that we could resolve this

and the Beta

inquired, and we all laughed because it was clear that Justin had cleverly left us alone with the

a smart move on his

it a casual conversation, it wouldn’t be considered

they couldn’t accuse us