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

contained more helpful details,” I explained, and Noah voiced

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

have called me if it were really

more of a phone person,”

the enemy and needs to

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

I didn’t believe the

establish communication with me while pretending to

without any word from

genuinely from her, it

about

put my mind at ease,”

time we spoke was back when

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

likely

that might still be switched off,” I

have been entirely clear, but I had a

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

on the other hand, had

by receiving this message, a line of communication has

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

as Sophia must have a

it’s truly her or not, you should engage in conversation and share specific details that only she would

can wait for her

being held captive, she might cleverly mislead her captors and

her, and her captors might

for her to mislead them in her answers to help us uncover what’s really

nodded, looking at her, and she smiled

really don’t have to worry about my feelings

she’s just your friend, nothing

could sense that Alex wasn’t entirely comfortable

to keep my

momentary unease, but it was our inside joke, and the others remained oblivious

alive and safe,” Marvin

won’t dispose

dare harm her, and if they

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

the idea that Sophia couldn’t reach out to me when she wanted, troubled

safety and prayed that we could resolve

the Beta off, and we

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

a smart move

and making it a casual conversation,

couldn’t accuse us of treating them