They didn't leave the cafeteria immediately.
They couldn't.
Mia sat frozen, her hands resting on her knees like she didn't trust them anymore. Andrew was beside her, phone still in his hand, staring at the screen as if the words might rearrange themselves into something less terrifying.
They didn't.
Around them, life continued.
Someone laughed at a joke. A tray clattered. A nurse complained about coffee being cold.
Normal.
Too normal.
"We shouldn't stay here," Andrew said finally, his voice low. Controlled. Too controlled.
Mia nodded, though her head felt heavy. "Yeah."
They walked out together, not touching, not speaking. Every step echoed too loudly in Mia's ears. Every person they passed felt like a question.
Do you know?
Did you see us?
At the elevator, Andrew pressed the button twice. Impatient.
"Andy," Mia whispered suddenly.
He turned to her instantly. "What?"
"What if… they were watching us then too?" Her voice cracked just slightly. "In the Old Wing."
Andrew didn't answer right away. The doors slid open.
Inside, the mirror reflected them back—two people trying very hard to look normal.
"I don't think they saw us," he said carefully. "I think they realized after."
That somehow felt worse.
They reached the parking area in silence. Andrew unlocked his car, then stopped when he noticed Mia hadn't moved.
She was staring at the hospital entrance.
"They know where I live," she said.
Andrew's jaw tightened. "Not anymore."
She looked at him. "What?"
"You're not going back there tonight," he said firmly. "Or tomorrow. Or until this is handled."
"And do what?" she asked, frustration slipping through the fear. "Hide?"
"No," he replied. "Think. Carefully."
She let out a shaky breath. "I hate this."
"I know," he said softly. "I do too."
The drive was quiet. Not awkward—heavy. Streetlights blurred past the windows. Mia hugged her arms around herself, replaying the message over and over.
It's time.
Time for what?
At Andrew's apartment, she finally spoke again.
"What if we made it worse?" she asked quietly. "What if we should've stopped when they warned us?"
Andrew turned to face her fully. "Then they would've found another reason," he said. "People like that don't stop just because you behave."
She studied him, the tension in his shoulders, the exhaustion in his eyes.
"You're scared," she said.
He gave a small, humorless smile.
"Terrified."
That honesty broke something open in her.
"So am I," she admitted.
They sat on opposite ends of the couch, not close like before. This fear was different. Sharper. Heavier.
"Promise me something," Mia said suddenly.
Andrew looked up. "Anything."
"If this gets worse," she said, choosing her words carefully, "we don't act alone. No hero moves."
He nodded immediately. "Promise."
The night stretched on. Sleep didn't come easily.
Mia lay awake, listening to the sounds of the apartment, every creak feeling suspicious. Somewhere around dawn, she realized something that made her chest tighten.
The message hadn't threatened what they'd do.
Only when.
And that meant the worst part wasn't behind them.
It was waiting.
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Guys from next week I might be inconsistent in uploading the chapters cause my finals are coming up... I need to study hard as much as I can.... Please don't blame me😭