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

the matter to protect you? Sending a vague message would be the best way to ensure you have nothing to work with,”

but she would have called me if it were

she’s more of a phone person,” I explained before

enemy and needs to

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

didn’t believe the

is trying to establish communication with me while

been too long without any word from her,

her, it would have been

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 been in

aware that I’ve recovered my line, so she would likely have

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

clear, but I

point, Li, but you’re right; this message

other hand, had a

receiving this message, a line of communication has been

continue to interact with ‘Sophia’ and see where it leads us,” she suggested, using air quotes when saying ‘Sophia,’ which elicited

as Sophia must

engage in

can wait

held captive, she might cleverly mislead her captors and provide us

searching for her, and her

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

at her, and she

worry about my feelings

your friend, nothing more,”

could

I managed to

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

still alive and safe,”

dispose of her

they won’t dare harm her, and if they have some

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

comfort, but the idea that Sophia couldn’t reach out to me when

prayed that we could resolve this situation as quickly

seeing the Gamma and the Beta off,

laughed because it was clear

a smart move on his

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

way, they couldn’t accuse us of