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.

message suggests an underlying

from Sophia, it would have contained more helpful details,” I explained, and Noah

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

she would have called me if it were really

messages; she’s more of a phone person,” I

the enemy and needs to secretly

leave her no choice but to send a text message,

then asked me to share my theory if I didn’t believe the

trying to establish communication

long without any word from her, making this message

it were genuinely from her, it would

about her well-being before asking me to

to put my mind

we spoke was back when

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

isn’t aware that I’ve recovered my line, so she would likely have sent the message

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

I had a gut feeling that

right; this message doesn’t provide much information,”

hand, had a different

of communication

and see where it leads us,” she suggested, using air quotes when

posing as Sophia must have

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

wait for her

might cleverly mislead her captors and provide

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

to help us uncover what’s really going on,” Josephine explained,

her,

really don’t have to worry about

your friend, nothing more,” she

male friends too,” she added, but I could sense that Alex wasn’t

I managed to

it was our inside joke, and the others remained oblivious to our unspoken

safe,” Marvin expressed, echoing my biggest

won’t dispose

dare harm her, and if they

alive until they accomplish whatever

me some sense of comfort, but the idea that

that we could resolve this situation as quickly as

the Gamma and the Beta off, and

do?” he inquired, and we all laughed because it was clear

smart move on his

it a casual conversation, it wouldn’t be considered an official

they couldn’t accuse us of