Days turn Weeks, as usual Selena still comes and goes to the school like cookies, often missing to who knows where after lunch. But Helena can feel the weight in her shoulders lighten though a little, at least Selena didn't miss Mr. Carson's classes again, she thought.
Evening came and Helena arrived home, she noticed some movements from Selena's room. Feeling puzzled, she wanted to ask her what she did, but she stopped and decided to wash herself up before striking a conversation with her tonight.
As she finished washing up, wearing her pyjamas, she arrived in front of Selena's door, knocking lightly "Selena, you there?" Silence greeted her. Furrowing her brows, she knocked again, this time harder. "Selena?" still no answers. She tried to twist the doorknob open, as it did, she saw no one in the room. The room was spot clean, not a single thing was messing.
"Again, she left without notice" Helena sighs with frustration and shake her head.
—
The dim light of the moon barely reached the narrow streets Selena now walked. She moved swiftly, her body tense, fully aware of the danger surrounding her.
The Black Market was not a place for the faint-hearted, and her continued involvement was becoming more treacherous with each passing day. But Selena was relentless, unwilling to back down, driven by the need to uncover the truth about her father's downfall.
The deeper she dug into the underground, the more tangled the web became. Luther's warning echoed in her mind—this was not a game, and people like Marcus Alden didn't appreciate being hunted. But Selena's thirst for answers outweighed the risks.
She arrived at the meeting spot—a dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of town, far removed from the busy streets where normal people went about their lives. The area was dimly lit, the occasional flicker of a streetlight casting eerie shadows.
Inside, she knew, were the men and women who thrived in the underworld, criminals, informants, and brokers of forbidden deals. She had learned to navigate this dangerous network, but tonight felt different. The tension in the air was thicker, a warning sign that trouble was near.
As she slipped through the cracked door, the stench of damp wood and stale smoke assaulted her senses. Inside, men whispered in hushed tones, and the sound of shuffling feet filled the room. In the far corner, Luther leaned against the wall, his massive frame a familiar yet intimidating sight.
"You're late again," Luther grumbled when she approached.
Selena ignored the comment, scanning the room. Her instincts were on high alert. Something was off. "Is everything in place?" she asked quietly.
Luther nodded, but there was hesitation in his eyes. "I got what you wanted—information on Alden. But… There's a problem. Word's gotten out that someone's snooping around."
Selena's pulse quickened, but she remained outwardly calm. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Luther said, lowering his voice, "there are people here tonight who aren't happy you've been poking into Alden's affairs. They're watching you. Waiting."
Selena's mind raced. She had known the risks, but hearing it confirmed made her stomach churn. Alden wasn't just a name from the past; he was still powerful, and his reach extended deep into the Black Market. If she wasn't careful, she could end up on the wrong side of a deal she couldn't escape.
"Then let them watch," she said, feigning confidence. "I need that information, Luther. If you have it, let's do this quickly."
Luther glanced around before sliding a worn folder toward her. "This is all I've got. It's not much, but it's enough to keep digging."
Selena opened the folder and scanned the documents inside. Bank records, old business deals, and a list of names tied to Alden. As she scanned the pages, her eyes landed on one name in particular—a man named Vincent Bale, one of Alden's former business partners who had disappeared shortly before her father's company collapsed. The connection was clear. This was the clue she needed.
"Vincent Bale…" Selena muttered under her breath. She had to find him.
But before she could tuck the folder away, a voice from behind her interrupted the moment. "You sure you want to be messing around with that?"
Selena froze. The voice belonged to a man she hadn't noticed entering the room—a tall, lean figure dressed in black, with sharp eyes and a predatory grin. He was flanked by two others, both equally imposing. The room seemed to grow colder.
"This doesn't concern you," Selena said, not taking her eyes off the man.
The man chuckled, taking a step forward. "Oh, but it does. You've been asking the wrong questions, and that's making the wrong people nervous. People who don't like being nervous."
Luther shifted uneasily beside her, but Selena didn't move. She knew this moment was coming. Her involvement in the Black Market had been pushing limits.
"I'm just trying to get to the truth," Selena said, her voice steady despite the tension.
"The truth?" The man's grin widened. "In a place like this? There's no truth here, only survival. And people like Alden… they survive by making sure people like you disappear."
Selena's heart pounded in her chest. She had known it was dangerous, but this was a direct threat. Her fingers tightened around the folder. She wouldn't back down, not now. "I'll take my chances."
The man's grin faded, replaced by a cold, calculating stare. For a moment, it felt like the room held its breath. Then, with a nod to his companions, he stepped aside. "Your own funeral, kid. But don't say I didn't warn you."
Selena didn't waste another second. She turned and left, the folder clutched tightly in her hand, Luther at her side. The tension didn't leave her even as they stepped back into the cold night air.
"You've made enemies tonight," Luther muttered as they walked away from the warehouse. "You need to be more careful."
Selena knew he was right, but there was no turning back now. "I can handle it," she said. "I've come this far."
But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were spiraling out of control. She wasn't the only one paying the price for her actions.
---
Back at the house, Helena paced the floor, her nerves frayed with worry. Selena hadn't returned, and it was well past midnight. Her sister had been growing more and more distant, her absences more frequent, and Helena couldn't ignore it any longer.
When the door finally creaked open, Helena rushed to the entrance, her heart pounding. Selena slipped inside, trying to be as quiet as possible, but Helena's eyes immediately caught the telltale signs of her secretive activities. The dirt on her shoes, the tension in her posture—Selena had been somewhere dangerous, again.
"Selena, where have you been?" Helena demanded, her voice laced with frustration and fear. "It's the middle of the night, and you keep disappearing without a word!"
Selena sighed, brushing past her. "It's none of your business, Helena. Just drop it."
But Helena wasn't going to let it go. She grabbed Selena's arm, forcing her to face her. "It is my business! You're my sister, and I'm not going to stand by while you put yourself in danger. I know you've been hiding things from me."
Selena pulled her arm free, her eyes cold and distant. "You don't understand."
"Then make me understand!" Helena's voice broke. "Why are you doing this? What are you getting yourself into?"
For a moment, Selena hesitated. She could see the genuine worry in Helena's eyes, the fear that her sister was slipping away into something dark and irreversible. But how could she explain it all—the Black Market, Alden, their father's past—without dragging Helena into the same danger?
"I'm trying to fix things," Selena said quietly. "I'm trying to find out what happened to Dad, why everything fell apart. If I can get to the truth, maybe we can—"
"Maybe we can do what?" Helena interrupted, her voice trembling. "You think digging around in the Black Market is going to solve anything? Selena, this is dangerous. People get killed for less."
"I don't care!" Selena snapped, her voice rising. "This is the only way. I can't just sit around and do nothing while our family's name is dragged through the mud. If I have to take risks, then so be it."
Helena's anger simmered, but underneath it, there was a deep well of fear. "And what about me, Selena? You think I'm just going to sit here and watch you destroy yourself? We've already lost Dad. I'm not losing you too."
The words hit harder than Selena expected. For a moment, she faltered, the weight of her sister's fear and love pressing down on her. But her resolve remained.
"I know what I'm doing," she whispered. "I won't get hurt."
But Helena shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "You're already hurting us. You're keeping secrets, disappearing in the middle of the night, chasing something that might not even be real. I'm scared for you, Selena. Please, just stop."
The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken words. Selena wanted to reassure her sister, to tell her it would all be okay, but the truth was, she didn't know if it would be.
She had crossed too many lines, made too many enemies. The path she was on was dark, and there was no turning back.
"We'll talk about this tomorrow," Selena finally said, her voice soft. "I need to rest."
Without waiting for a response, Selena slipped away into her room, leaving Helena standing alone in the dimly lit hallway. Helena's chest ached with the weight of their argument, the fear of what lay ahead. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was coming, something that neither of them could stop.