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

was genuinely from Sophia, it would have contained more helpful details,”

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 have nothing to work with,” he suggested, and I nodded, understanding

have called me if it

more of a phone person,” I explained before Sebastien

if she’s surrounded by the enemy and needs to

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

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

someone is trying to establish communication with me while pretending to

been too long without any word from her, making this message

her, it would have been sent to Charlotte’s

details about

my

spoke was back

seems off, as if

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

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

but I had a gut feeling that

message doesn’t provide

other hand,

of communication has been opened

it leads us,” she suggested, using air quotes

is posing as Sophia must have a

or not, you should engage in conversation and share specific details that only she

we can wait for

being held captive, she might cleverly mislead

certain she knows we’re searching for her, and her captors

it’s wise for her to mislead them in her answers to help us

nodded, looking at her, and she

have to worry about

know she’s just your friend,

too,” she added, but I could sense that Alex wasn’t entirely comfortable with

to keep my

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

still alive and safe,”

dispose of

is working for them, they won’t dare harm her, and if

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

gave me some sense of comfort, but the idea that Sophia couldn’t

concerned about her safety and prayed that we could resolve this situation as quickly

Gamma and the Beta off, and we remained on high

laughed because it was clear that Justin had cleverly left us alone with the officers to

was a smart move

questioning and making it a casual conversation,

way, they couldn’t accuse us of treating them