Lina barely slept.
The message from the unknown number kept replaying in her mind.
You should be careful who you trust.
She had deleted it.
Or at least, she had tried to convince herself that deleting it meant she could forget about it.
It didn't.
Every time she closed her eyes, the same words appeared again.
Who had sent it?
And why?
More importantly—
How did they know about her?
Lina turned over in bed and stared at the ceiling.
Maybe it was just a prank.
Maybe someone had the wrong number.
Maybe—
Her phone buzzed.
She immediately grabbed it.
Her heart jumped.
But it was only Clara.
Clara: Are you awake?
Lina sighed.
Lina: Unfortunately.
The reply came almost instantly.
Clara: Good. I need to tell you something.
Lina sat up.
Lina: What?
There was a pause.
Then—
Clara: I saw Vanessa talking to Ethan yesterday.
Lina frowned.
Lina: Okay?
Clara: No. You don't understand. She wasn't talking normally.
Lina's fingers stopped moving.
Lina: What do you mean?
Clara: She looked angry. And when Ethan walked away, she was watching you.
Lina stared at the screen.
Her stomach tightened.
Could it be connected?
Before she could reply, another message appeared.
Clara: Just be careful.
Lina slowly placed her phone beside her.
Two warnings in one night.
That couldn't be a coincidence.
---
The next morning, Lina arrived at school earlier than usual.
The hallways were almost empty.
She preferred it that way.
Less noise.
Less attention.
Less opportunity to think.
She opened her locker and reached for her books.
Something fell onto the floor.
A small white envelope.
Lina froze.
She looked around.
Nobody was there.
Slowly, she bent down and picked it up.
Her name was written across the front.
LINA HART
Her heart began pounding.
She opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
Lina stared at it.
It was an old picture.
A younger Lina stood beside a woman she recognized immediately.
Her mother.
But that wasn't what frightened her.
There was another person in the photograph.
A man.
Someone Lina had never seen before.
She turned the picture over.
Written on the back were six words.
Ask your mother about him.
Lina's fingers went cold.
"What...?"
She looked around again.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No voices.
Just an empty hallway.
She quickly put the photograph inside her notebook and closed her locker.
She needed to find out who that man was.
But there was one problem.
She wasn't sure she was ready to hear the answer.
---
Adrian found her ten minutes later.
He immediately noticed something was wrong.
"You look pale."
"I'm fine."
"You keep saying that when you're not."
Lina forced a smile.
"Maybe I'm just tired."
Adrian stepped closer.
"Lina."
She looked at him.
There was concern in his eyes.
Real concern.
And somehow that made it harder to lie.
"I received something."
"What?"
She hesitated.
Then she pulled the photograph from her notebook.
Adrian studied it.
"Who's that?"
"I don't know."
He looked at Lina.
"And you're sure you've never seen him?"
"No."
She swallowed.
"But that's my mother."
Adrian looked at the photograph again.
"Maybe she knows who he is."
"That's what the message said."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"What message?"
Lina handed him the back of the photograph.
He read it.
His jaw tightened.
"This isn't funny."
"I know."
"Whoever sent this knows something about you."
"I know."
He looked at her.
"We need to tell someone."
"No."
"Lina—"
"No."
She shook her head.
"If I tell my mother before I know what's going on, she might refuse to talk about it."
Adrian sighed.
"Then don't do this alone."
Lina looked at him.
"I wasn't planning to."
He smiled faintly.
"Good."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lina quietly slipped her hand into his.
Adrian looked down.
Their fingers intertwined.
Neither of them said anything.
But both smiled.
---
Across the hallway, Vanessa watched them.
Her expression was unreadable.
But beside her stood Ethan.
"You've been watching them all morning."
Vanessa didn't look at him.
"So?"
"So it's getting obvious."
She finally turned.
"What do you want, Ethan?"
"Nothing."
"Then stop following me."
Ethan smiled.
"I'm not following you."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I'm curious."
"About what?"
He glanced toward Lina and Adrian.
"About what you're planning."
Vanessa's eyes narrowed.
"You don't know anything."
"Maybe not."
Ethan stepped closer.
"But I know you're hiding something."
Vanessa laughed softly.
"Everyone hides something."
"True."
Ethan's smile disappeared.
"But some secrets hurt other people."
Vanessa stared at him.
For the first time, there was a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Stay out of this."
Ethan leaned closer.
"Give me one reason."
Vanessa didn't answer.
He walked away.
But before disappearing around the corner, he turned back.
"And Vanessa?"
She looked at him.
"Whatever you're doing..."
His expression was serious.
"Make sure you're prepared for what happens when it comes back at you."
---
That afternoon, Lina stood outside her house with the photograph hidden inside her bag.
She stared at the front door.
Her mother was inside.
Somewhere behind that door was an answer.
Maybe one answer.
Maybe a hundred questions.
Lina took a deep breath.
Then she opened the door.
"Mom?"
No response.
She stepped inside.
"Mom?"
Still nothing.
The house felt strangely quiet.
Lina walked toward the kitchen.
A glass sat broken on the floor.
Her heart stopped.
"Mom?"
She rushed through the house.
Then she heard a sound from upstairs.
A drawer closing.
Lina froze.
Someone was there.
Slowly, she reached for her phone.
Her fingers trembled as she called Adrian.
He answered almost immediately.
"Lina?"
She whispered.
"Adrian..."
"What happened?"
"I think someone's in my house."
There was silence.
Then his voice became serious.
"Where are you?"
"Downstairs."
"Don't move."
"But—"
"Stay there. I'm coming."
The call ended.
Lina stared toward the staircase.
A shadow moved across the wall.
Someone was coming down.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Her breathing became shallow.
Then a voice came from upstairs.
"Lina?"
She froze.
It was her mother's voice.
Relief washed over her.
"Mom?"
Her mother appeared at the top of the stairs.
But the moment Lina saw her face, the relief disappeared.
Her mother looked terrified.
She hurried downstairs and grabbed Lina's hands.
"Where did you get that photograph?"
Lina's heart dropped.
"You know him?"
Her mother stared at her.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she whispered—
"That man was supposed to be dead."
Lina's eyes widened.
"What?"
Her mother looked toward the front door.
Then back at her daughter.
"Listen to me carefully."
Her voice trembled.
"If someone gave you that photograph..."
She paused.
"They've found us."
Lina felt the blood drain from her face.
"Who?"
Her mother didn't answer.
Instead, she pulled Lina into her arms.
And outside the house—
A black car slowly stopped across the street.
Inside it, someone watched the house.
Someone who had been waiting years for this moment.
And on the passenger seat lay another photograph.
This one was much newer.
It showed Lina.
Standing beside Adrian.
Holding his hand.
The person inside the car smiled.
"Now we know exactly how to get to her."