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.

the message suggests an

would have contained more helpful details,” I explained, and Noah voiced a

you considered 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

called

more of a phone person,” I explained before Sebastien

by the enemy and needs to secretly

but to send a text message, Li,” he argued, and many others seemed

didn’t believe

establish communication

any word from her, making this message seem

genuinely from her, it would have been sent to Charlotte’s

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

will want to put my mind at ease,”

spoke was

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

line, so she would likely have sent the message to Charlotte’s phone to

a message to a line that might

clear, but I had

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

the other hand, had a

communication has been opened between

us,” she suggested, using air quotes when saying ‘Sophia,’ which elicited

is posing as Sophia must have

should engage in conversation and share specific details that only she would

can wait for her

if she’s being held captive, she might cleverly mislead her

searching for her, and her captors might have informed her

to help us

at her, and she smiled in

really don’t have to worry about my feelings when it comes

just your friend, nothing more,”

friends too,” she added, but I could sense that

managed to keep

laughed, signifying that she noticed my momentary unease, but it was our inside joke, and the others

still alive and safe,” Marvin expressed,

dispose

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

any case, she’ll likely remain alive until they accomplish whatever they have planned,” Oliver

gave me some sense of comfort, but the idea that Sophia couldn’t reach out to me when she wanted, troubled me

concerned about her safety and prayed that we could

the Beta off, and we remained on high

we all laughed because it was clear

a smart

directly conducting the questioning and making it a casual conversation, it wouldn’t

they couldn’t accuse us of treating them