Chapter 10: Whispers in the Dark
Aria stared at the photograph on her laptop screen, her mind reeling. The image raised more questions than it answered. Who was the man in the background? How was he connected to Eleanor? And why was he warning her now?
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she debated whether to forward the email to Lucas. But the man's warning echoed in her mind: Don't trust Lucas. He's not who he seems.
She decided to keep the photo to herself—for now.
A Midnight Intrusion
The city was quiet as Aria prepared for bed, but a creeping unease settled over her. The events of the day lingered in her mind, refusing to let her rest.
She had just turned off the lights when she heard a faint noise outside her apartment. It sounded like footsteps.
Her heart raced. She crept toward the window, careful to stay out of sight, and peeked through the curtain.
A figure stood on the sidewalk below, shrouded in shadows.
She reached for her phone, intending to call Lucas, but stopped herself. Instead, she called building security.
Moments later, the figure disappeared into the night.
Confrontation at the Studio
The next morning, Aria arrived at the studio early, her nerves still frayed. She found Lucas waiting for her, his expression unreadable.
"You look like you didn't sleep," he said.
"I didn't," she admitted, setting her bag down.
Lucas studied her for a moment, then asked, "What aren't you telling me?"
The question caught her off guard. "What do you mean?"
"You've been avoiding me," he said. "I can tell when someone's hiding something, Aria."
She hesitated, debating whether to tell him about the email and the figure outside her apartment.
Finally, she said, "Someone sent me an email last night. It had a photo of you and Eleanor."
Lucas's eyes narrowed. "And?"
"There was someone else in the photo," she continued. "The man who tried to warn me in the parking lot."
Lucas's expression darkened. "Send me the email," he said.
"Why?" she asked. "So you can delete it and keep me in the dark?"
"Because I might know who sent it," he replied, his voice tense. "And if I'm right, you're in more danger than I thought."
The Name That Haunts
Aria forwarded the email to Lucas, watching as his expression shifted from frustration to something resembling fear.
"Do you know him?" she asked.
Lucas nodded slowly. "His name is Victor Delacroix. He was...a colleague of mine. Back when Eleanor and I were first married."
"What happened?"
Lucas hesitated, as if weighing how much to tell her. "Victor and I worked together on a project—a dangerous one. Eleanor got caught in the middle of it. When she disappeared, Victor vanished too."
Aria's breath caught. "You think he's responsible for what happened to her?"
"I don't know," Lucas admitted. "But if he's contacting you now, it means he's playing a game. And I won't let you be his pawn."
A Dangerous Lead
Lucas insisted on driving Aria home that evening, his protective instincts in overdrive. As they drove through the city, he revealed more about his past with Victor.
"Victor and I were part of a research team working on experimental technologies," he said. "The kind of projects that attract the wrong kind of attention."
"Like what?" Aria pressed.
Lucas glanced at her, his jaw tightening. "Let's just say they had military applications. And some very powerful people didn't want them falling into the wrong hands."
"And Eleanor?"
"She found out about the project," Lucas said quietly. "She wanted me to leave it behind, but I didn't listen. I thought I could protect her. I was wrong."
His words hung heavy in the air, the weight of his guilt palpable.
Uncovering a Clue
When they arrived at Aria's apartment, Lucas insisted on checking the place for signs of intrusion. While he searched, Aria opened her laptop and revisited the email.
This time, she noticed something she'd missed before: a string of numbers embedded in the photo file name.
"Lucas," she called.
He appeared in the doorway, his expression wary. "What is it?"
She pointed to the screen. "There's a code in the file name. Do you recognize it?"
Lucas leaned over her shoulder, his brows furrowing. "It's a set of coordinates," he said.
"Coordinates to what?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "But we're going to find out."