Winter stares at the message, a chill creeping slowly up her spine.
After everything that has happened lately, every odd occurrence seems to scream danger.
She hasn’t shared her new contact ID with anyone, and the old one has already been deactivated.
So who could possibly have it now?
Quickly, she types out a response.
“Who is this?”
Her heart pounds faster than she likes as she sends it.
It’s probably just a wrong number, but the timing feels suspicious.
As she waits for a reply, her thoughts drift immediately to Drae and his cryptic threats.
If anyone could access her new contact ID easily, it would be him.
Is he trying to intimidate her?
Her phone buzzes again, interrupting her thoughts.
“It’s Caspian.”
Winter blinks at the response, relief instantly loosening the tension in her chest.
But then she pauses.
How did he get her contact ID if she never gave it to him?
Her suspicion immediately returns.
“How did you get my contact ID?” she types back.
A few seconds pass before another message appears.
“Okay, don’t freak out, but when I forgot to ask you for your ID earlier today, I decided to find you by any means necessary. So, I might’ve gotten it from the school registry. Illegally, of course.”
Winter bursts into laughter before she can stop herself, glad he isn’t in the room with her to hear it.
She smirks, imagining him charming his way through the school office to get her details.
It’s clever.
Dangerously clever.
“You just casually convinced them to give you my contact?” she types, adding a laughing emoji.
His reply comes almost immediately.
“Pretty much, yeah. Told them it was urgent. We needed to work on a project together. They totally bought it.”
Winter chuckles softly, shaking her head.
She doesn’t know why, but Caspian’s easygoing nature has a way of putting her at ease, especially when she’s feeling suspicious or guarded around him.
She isn’t sure whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing yet.
“Well, that was smart,” she finally replies.
“Not gonna lie, you had me worried for a second. Thought you were someone else.”
“Someone else?” Caspian replies almost instantly, followed by a winking emoji.
“Who were you expecting?”
Winter rolls her eyes, amused despite herself.
“Long story,” she responds.
“Anyway, what made you go through all the trouble to contact me?”
“Actually,” Caspian replies, “I was wondering… have you decided yet? About being my plus one?” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Winter grins as she types back.
“Yeah, I’ve decided. My family is attending, so I’ll be your plus one.”
Caspian’s response makes her laugh out loud again.
“YES! You’re my hero. This night just got a million times better.”
“Hero, huh?” Winter teases.
“I’m sure you’d survive without me.”
“Nah. Wouldn’t be the same,” Caspian writes back, adding a relieved emoji.
“You’ll save me from endless small talk.”
Winter’s smile softens slightly.
But then her thoughts drift back toward Drae, and a question that has been nagging at her resurfaces.
She hesitates briefly before typing again.
“Hey, Caspian… can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
Winter takes a slow breath, carefully considering how to phrase the question.
“What’s going on between you and Drae?” she types.
“Like, do you two have some kind of history?”
This time, there’s a much longer pause.
Winter stares at the screen, wondering if she pushed too far.
Finally, another message appears.
“Why? Did Drae say something to you?”
Winter bites her lip.
She doesn’t want to mention Drae’s warning yet.
“Not really,” she replies carefully.
“He didn’t say much. I was just curious, that’s all.”
A few more seconds pass.
Then:
“We’re not really friends anymore. Used to be, but things got… complicated.”
Winter’s curiosity sharpens instantly.
Caspian doesn’t seem like the type to hold grudges.
Then again, Drae isn’t exactly easy to get along with.
“Complicated how?” she presses.
Another pause follows.
Winter can almost feel his hesitation through the screen.
“It’s a long story,” Caspian finally responds.
“I’ll explain when I see you tomorrow, okay?”
Winter stares at the message, feeling both curious and frustrated.
If Caspian doesn’t want to discuss it over text, then it’s probably serious.
“We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Thanks for understanding,” he responds with a smiley face.
“Of course. See you tomorrow, Caspian. Goodnight.”
“Night, Winter.”
As their conversation ends, Winter sets her phone down slowly, her mind buzzing with questions.
Caspian and Drae used to be friends.
Something happened between them.
Something bad enough to destroy that friendship completely.
And somehow, she’s certain it connects to the larger mystery surrounding everyone in this house.
With a sigh, she reaches for her new notebook.
It’s a simple black journal with blank pages.
Perfect for organizing her thoughts.
Opening it carefully, she begins writing.
Mysteries to Solve:
1.
The Ivy-Covered Wall
Return to the garden and investigate the mysterious wall.
2.
The Woman in the Picture
Discover the truth behind Drae’s warning and find out who she is.
3.
Marcus and Drae
Uncover the reason behind their hostility.
4.
Caspian and Drae
Find out why their friendship ended.
5.
Drae’s Mother
Understand what Drae meant about his mother’s fate.
Did she really pass away from illness, or is there something more sinister?
Winter stares down at the list, chewing lightly on the end of her pen.
There’s so much happening.
Far more than she ever imagined.
And while part of her wants to escape from all of it, another part of her is determined to dig deeper, even if it means facing dangers she never anticipated.
With a final sigh, she closes the notebook and lies back against her bed.
Tomorrow will bring more answers.
She just has to be ready to face them.