Two months had passed since Lia disappeared without a trace, and Adrian Blackwell was no closer to finding her than he had been on that first day. The mansion felt emptier now, the walls echoing with memories of a woman who had been nothing but a shadow to him—until she was gone. In the quiet of the evening, Adrian sat in his study, the faint hum of his luxury car engine outside a distant reminder of his success, yet none of it brought him any peace. He poured himself another drink, the whiskey sliding down his throat like the bitter truth he wasn't ready to accept.
He never thought he would feel this way.
The last two months had been a blur of restless nights, interrupted by dreams of her—Lia's eyes, full of defiance, full of pain, but also, strangely, trust. Trust he had broken with every word, every demand, every command. Yet the voice in his head, the one that had always been there—familiar, almost comforting in its dissonance—kept whispering to him. It had been silent at first, but lately, it had been growing louder.
Find her. Fix this. Before it's too late.
Adrian's fingers tightened around the glass. He slammed it down onto the desk, the sharp crack of glass startling him. His thoughts were interrupted by the soft chime of his phone. It was a message, only three words, but they hit him harder than anything else could.
I know where she is.
His heart skipped a beat. His breath caught in his chest. He stared at the screen, not daring to blink, as if the message would disappear if he did. He quickly typed back.
Who are you?
No reply. The minutes felt like hours, each second weighed down with uncertainty. Then the phone rang—unknown number. Adrian didn't hesitate. He picked up.
"Adrian Blackwell," a voice rasped on the other end, cold and calculating.
A chill ran down Adrian's spine. He didn't recognize the voice, but it was unmistakably familiar. The same voice that had been in his mind for weeks, urging him to find Lia. He swallowed hard.
"Who are you?" he asked again, his voice sharp, though fear twisted in his gut.
The voice chuckled darkly. "You don't know who I am, but you will. You have a debt to repay, Mr. Blackwell. One that's been long overdue."
Adrian's mind raced. Debt? He was a billionaire; he didn't owe anyone. Not in the traditional sense. But there was something off about the tone of the conversation, something that made his skin prickle.
"I'm listening," Adrian said, his voice measured, though inside, his heart pounded.
"You've been looking for her," the voice continued. "But you're not the only one searching. And if you're not careful, you might just lose her... forever."
Adrian gripped the phone tighter. His thoughts spun wildly. Who was this person? And what did they know about Lia?
The voice gave him no time to respond. "Meet me at the old pier tomorrow night, at midnight. Come alone, or you'll never see her again."
The line went dead before Adrian could protest.
He sat there in the silence of his office, the weight of the call pressing down on him. He wasn't sure what to believe, but the mention of Lia was enough to make him act. The mystery deepened with every word, and Adrian knew one thing for certain—his obsession with finding her had only just begun.
The day dragged on, every second feeling like an eternity. Adrian's mind couldn't focus on anything else. His every thought was consumed by the strange call. He knew he had to go to the pier; there was no other choice. But the warning to come alone left a sour taste in his mouth. Who could he trust?
As the night descended, Adrian dressed in his usual dark suit, the weight of the situation making him feel more vulnerable than he cared to admit. He stepped into his Rolls Royce, the car's sleek exterior gleaming under the streetlights. His driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror but didn't say a word.
The drive felt like a blur. Adrian's thoughts swirled with the possibilities—who was behind this call? Why did they know so much about him? About Lia? The old pier was on the outskirts of the city, a place he hadn't visited in years. It was dark, desolate, and devoid of the luxury that defined his life. Yet, something about it felt fitting, as if it was the perfect place for secrets to unravel.
When the car finally stopped, Adrian stepped out, his shoes clicking against the wet pavement. The air was thick with fog, and the sound of the waves crashing against the dock echoed in the distance. The pier was empty, save for the faint outline of a figure standing at the edge, facing the water.
Adrian's heart raced as he approached slowly.
"Who are you?" he called, his voice carrying through the mist.
The figure turned. It was a man, dressed in black, his features obscured by the shadows. His face was eerily calm, yet there was something unsettling in his eyes—eyes that seemed to be watching Adrian with a knowing intensity.
"I'm the one who holds the answers you've been looking for," the man replied, his voice smooth but chilling. "But first, you have to prove something to me."
Adrian stepped forward, his instincts on high alert. "What do you want?"
The man smiled, a thin, unsettling smile. "It's not what I want. It's what you want. You want to find Lia, don't you?"
The mention of her name made Adrian's pulse quicken. "Of course I do. But what does that have to do with you?"
The man's eyes glinted in the dim light. "It has everything to do with me. And everything to do with your future." He stepped closer, his voice lowering to a whisper. "There's something you don't know, Mr. Blackwell. Something about your past. Something you've forgotten."
Adrian froze. Forgotten?
Before he could react, the man was gone—vanished into the fog. Adrian turned in every direction, his heart pounding in his chest. He was alone.
But the silence that followed was deafening, and for the first time, Adrian felt a nagging doubt settle in the pit of his stomach.
As Adrian returned to his car, his mind was consumed by the man's words. Forgotten? What could he possibly have forgotten? He had no memory of anything that could explain the man's cryptic message.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed again.
It's time for you to remember.
The screen went dark.
Adrian's breath caught in his throat. The voice from the call earlier—the same voice that had tormented him—now echoed in his head.
He gripped the steering wheel, the words repeating in his mind.
What have I forgotten?
The car's engine roared to life as Adrian sped off into the night, but one thing was certain—this was no longer just about finding Lia. It was about something far bigger, something that went deeper than he could have ever imagined.
And with every twist, every whisper of regret, the truth seemed to slip further away, just out of reach...
The game had only just begun.