Noah’s POV The message arrived at 10:17 a.m.
I almost ignored it.
My phone vibrated beside my keyboard while I was reviewing a report, and I glanced at the screen expecting another work notification.
Instead, there was an unknown number.
You shouldn’t have gone back to Ashford.
My fingers stopped moving.
For several seconds, I simply stared at the words.
Another message appeared.
You were warned.
My stomach tightened.
I immediately locked my phone.
The strange messages had been happening for weeks, but something about these two felt different.
They weren’t vague anymore.
They sounded like a warning.
I looked around my office.
Everyone seemed normal.
Employees walked through the corridor.
Phones rang.
Someone laughed near the elevators.
Nothing appeared unusual.
Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me.
I picked up my phone again and opened the messages.
There was no name.
No profile picture.
Nothing that could tell me who was behind them.
I typed: Who are you?
The reply came almost instantly.
You already know.
My heart thudded.
I deleted the message thread.
Then I regretted it.
Why had I done that?
I should have shown Adrian.
I should have told Amelia.
Instead, I put the phone face down and forced myself to continue working.
That decision would haunt me later.
By lunchtime, I still hadn’t told anyone.
I convinced myself I was overreacting.
Maybe the sender was only trying to frighten me.
Maybe the messages had nothing to do with Adrian.
Maybe— My phone vibrated again.
This time, there was a photograph.
I opened it.
My blood ran cold.
It was a picture of me leaving Amelia’s apartment that morning.
Someone had taken it from across the street.
I immediately stood.
The office suddenly felt too small.
Someone had been watching me.
I looked toward the windows.
Then toward the hallway.
Nothing.
I called Amelia.
She answered after a few rings.
“Hey, Noah.” “Is Ethan with you?” “Yes.
Why?” “Keep the doors locked.” Silence.
“What happened?” “I received another message.” “What kind?” “I think someone has been watching the apartment.” Her voice immediately changed.
“Are you serious?” “Yes.” “Come home.” “I will.” “Now.” “I need to finish—” “Noah.” I stopped.
“Please.” I closed my eyes.
“Okay.” I grabbed my bag.
I was leaving the building when another message arrived.
Don’t go home.
I stopped walking.
Another message followed.
They’ll be watching there too.
My heart began pounding.
I turned slowly toward the glass entrance.
Cars moved along the road outside.
People walked past.
Then I noticed a dark vehicle parked across the street.
I couldn’t see who was inside.
I stepped backward.
My phone slipped slightly in my hand.
I called Adrian.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
I tried again.
Still nothing.
I sent him a message.
I need to talk to you.
Something is wrong.
No response.
I looked at the dark vehicle again.
It hadn’t moved.
I decided to go back inside.
The moment I turned around, someone called my name.
“Mr.
Everhart?” I looked over.
A man wearing an Ashford security badge approached me.
“Yes?” “Mr.
Ashford asked me to bring you upstairs.” I frowned.
“Adrian?” “Yes.” Something felt wrong.
“Did he say why?” The man smiled.
“Something about the project.” I hesitated.
Adrian normally contacted me directly.
He wouldn’t send someone without warning.
“I’ll call him myself.” The man’s smile disappeared.
Before I could step away, another person appeared behind me.
My heart jumped.
I moved toward the reception desk.
“Excuse me.” The first man reached for my arm.
I pulled away.
“Don’t touch me.” Everything happened quickly after that.
People began turning toward us.
Someone shouted.
I tried to move toward the crowded entrance, but the men blocked my path.
My phone fell to the floor.
I reached for it.
A hand grabbed my shoulder.
Panic surged through me.
I struggled free and shouted for help.
But the lobby suddenly seemed strangely distant.
My vision blurred.
I could hear voices around me, but I couldn’t make out the words.
The last thing I remember was seeing my phone lying on the floor.
Adrian’s name was still visible on the screen.
Then everything went dark.
When I opened my eyes again, I knew immediately that I wasn’t at Ashford.
I was somewhere unfamiliar.
My head felt heavy, and my thoughts were confused.
I sat up slowly.
The room was dim.
The door was closed.
My phone was gone.
So was my bag.
Fear settled over me.
I forced myself to breathe.
“Ethan…” My first thought was my son.
I needed to know he was safe.
Then I remembered Amelia.
The warning.
The photograph.
The messages.
This wasn’t random.
Someone had planned this.
A shadow appeared beneath the door.
Someone was standing outside.
Then a voice spoke.
“You finally woke up.” I froze.
The voice was familiar.
Too familiar.
And suddenly, I understood.
The person who had been sending those messages hadn’t been hiding somewhere far away.
They had been much closer than I ever realized.
I stared at the door.
My heart was pounding so hard that I could hear it.
The voice came again.
“You’re awake.” The door opened.
A man stepped inside.
I recognized him.
He was one of the people who had been working around Ashford Biotech.
Not an executive.
Not someone I knew personally.
But I’d seen him before.
“You.” He smiled.
“So you do remember me.” “What do you want?” He closed the door behind him.
“Answers.” “About what?” “About what happened years ago.” My stomach tightened.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He laughed quietly.
“You really don’t?” I shook my head.
He placed my phone on the table.
The screen lit up.
There were dozens of messages.
The same messages I’d been receiving for weeks.
“You sent them.” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because I needed you to remember.” “Remember what?” He stared at me.
“The night everything changed.” I didn’t understand.
“What are you talking about?” His expression hardened.
“You were there.
Adrian was there.
And someone made sure neither of you remembered the truth.” My breath caught.
Adrian.
He knew about Adrian.
“What do you know about him?” “More than you think.” I stepped closer to the table.
“Tell me.” Instead, he picked up my phone.
“You’re going to tell me everything you remember.” “I don’t know anything.” “You expect me to believe that?” “Yes.” He stared at me for several seconds.
Then he sighed.
“Fine.” He placed the phone down.
“I’ll give you time.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait!” He stopped.
“What happened to my son?” “He’s safe.” Relief rushed through me.
“And my sisters?” “Safe.” I closed my eyes.
At least Ethan was safe.
The man opened the door.
“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” Then he left.
The lock clicked.
I sat down slowly.
My mind raced.
He had said Adrian’s name.
He had mentioned a night neither of us remembered properly.
And somehow, these messages had been leading to this.
But why?
What did he want me to remember?
I sat against the wall.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Ethan.
I needed to get home.
I needed to get back to my sisters.
I needed Adrian to know where I was.
But my phone was on the other side of the room.
I stood carefully.
The room was quiet.
I walked toward the table.
Then I noticed something beside my phone.
A photograph.
I picked it up.
My hands began trembling.
It showed Adrian.
But it wasn’t a recent picture.
It was from years ago.
And beside him was someone I had never seen before.
On the back of the photograph was a handwritten sentence.
Ask Adrian what happened that night.
I stared at it.
My breathing became uneven.
Whatever had happened years ago wasn’t finished.
Someone had been waiting for us to remember.
And now, somehow, I was at the center of it.
BONUS POV Across the city, Adrian stared at his phone.
No answer.
He had called Noah six times.
Nothing.
He called again.
Straight to voicemail.
His expression darkened.
Something was wrong.
Noah had never simply disappeared without telling anyone.
Adrian immediately called Noah’s supervisor.
“Has Noah left the building?” There was a pause.
“Mr.
Ashford…
we don’t know.” “What do you mean you don’t know?” “He left his office around lunchtime.” “Alone?” Another pause.
“We’re checking the security footage now.” Adrian stood.
“Send everything to me.” “Yes, sir.” He grabbed his coat.
Then his phone rang.
It was Amelia.
“Adrian?” “Amelia.” “Have you heard from Noah?” His silence was enough.
She immediately became worried.
“No.” “I haven’t either.” Adrian’s jaw tightened.
“When did you last speak to him?” “This morning.” “Was anything unusual?” “He received another message.” Adrian went still.
“What message?” “He said someone might be watching us.” Adrian’s expression changed.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t know it was serious!” “Send me everything he told you.” “I will.” The call ended.
Adrian looked at his phone.
The old messages.
The warnings.
The photograph.
Everything suddenly connected.
Someone had been watching Noah.
And now Noah was gone.
Adrian’s hand tightened around his phone.
“Find him.” He didn’t care who was responsible.
He would find Noah.
And whoever had been behind those messages was going to answer every question.
Okayyy, things just got serious.
We finally found out who was behind those mysterious messages—and apparently, he knows something about that night involving Adrian and Noah.
And now Adrian knows Noah has disappeared.
Meanwhile, Noah has discovered an old photograph with a message telling him to ask Adrian what happened that night…
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED?
And why does this stranger know so much about them?
Don’t worry, we’re not revealing everything at once.
The truth is going to unfold piece by piece.
Thank you for reading and supporting the story!
See you in Chapter 26!
— Ari1