Days passed, and the weight of Ethan's confession hung between them like a storm cloud. Mia couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. Ethan's fears were beginning to seem more real, more imminent. He had begun receiving cryptic messages—anonymous texts that were all but threatening in nature. The contents of the messages hinted at Veronica's involvement with shady individuals, people who were apparently looking for something. And they were willing to go to extreme lengths to get it.
Mia wasn't sure what to think. How much of Ethan's past had been a lie? How much of it was true? She had trusted him completely, but now, the world seemed filled with shadows—shadows that Ethan couldn't—or wouldn't—completely explain.
"Who's coming for us, Ethan?" Mia asked one evening, as they sat together on the couch, trying to process everything. "Who are these people, and what do they want?"
Ethan ran a hand over his face, exhausted. "I don't know. But I have a feeling Veronica didn't just disappear. She left with something—something important. I don't know if she's trying to protect it, or if she's using it against someone. But whoever is after her, they're not stopping until they get what they want."
Mia's mind was spinning, the uncertainty wrapping itself around her like a tight rope. She looked at Ethan, unsure whether to trust him completely, even after everything they had shared. She loved him—but was that enough to face whatever was coming?
Just then, Ethan's phone buzzed, an unfamiliar number flashing on the screen. He picked it up, his face paling as he read the message aloud.
"You can't run from your past, Ethan. We know you're with her. It's time to make a choice—us or her. The clock is ticking."
Mia's heart dropped into her stomach. "Who are they, Ethan? What do they want?"
"I don't know," he said, his voice tense. "But I'm going to find out."