The words blurred in front of Emily's eyes as she stood motionless in the dark corridor, her heart thumping in her chest. "Now get out of there. They are pursuing you." She gasped, fear threatening to overwhelm her. The urgency of the message was evident, even though she was unsure of its sender—whether it was the enigmatic informant from before or someone else attempting to alert her. All of her instincts told her to turn and flee the horror that had swiftly taken hold of her. However, it was too late. She heard the footsteps again, louder than before, echoing toward her along the small hallway.
She looked about wildly. Even though the exit was at the end of the corridor, she could still clearly picture Damien Blackwood, his icy eyes and ominous words lingering in the air like a thick fog. She was impatient. She was unable to pause. Emily inhaled deeply before running for the door. As she turned the corner, her heels clicked against the concrete floor, her legs moving quicker than ever before. Behind her, she could hear footsteps becoming faster, but she didn't turn around. The door was all she could think about. It was the lone exit, the door she had just passed moments before.
She grabbed the handle and pulled it open, but before she could push through, someone moved in front of her and blocked her path. One of Blackwood's men was involved. She had seen the same icy enforcer previously in the building. His expression was impenetrable, but it was obvious that he would not allow her to depart. The man stated in a low, menacing voice, "You're not going anywhere."
Emily's breath caught in her throat as she paused for a moment. She felt the entire force of her predicament crashing down on her. She was stuck. There was no obvious way out, so her thoughts raced, trying to find a method to get away, to outsmart this man. Her knuckles were white with anxiety as her fingers gripped the door handle. "I'm going. Now," she responded sharply, attempting to seem strong. The man remained still. "Here, you are not in command. It was a mistake for you to come here. You'll pay for it now."
Emily tried to regulate her breathing by swallowing hard. She thought, This is it. She was forced to confront the repercussions of her actions as the walls closed in around her. All of her actions up to this point had brought her to this point, where everything might go wrong. To her astonishment, however, the man did not attempt to seize her or compel her to return to the building. His face was unreadable as he stood there and watched her. It seemed as though time had paused for a second. Emily kept her gaze fixed on the man despite her heart pounding in her chest. She was uneasy about his silence for some reason.
Then abruptly he moved aside, with simply a quick nod that he was letting her go. Emily didn't think twice. Her chest heaving with relief, she pushed through the door and left the building, walking into the chilly night air. However, she felt the pressure of a hundred eyes on her as she entered the street. She couldn't get rid of the impression that she was being followed, and every corner and shadow seemed dangerous. She picked up her speed and looked over her shoulder, but she didn't see anything unusual. Emily felt that everything was a front for the mayhem that was going on underneath the surface, even though the city was bustling with the typical evening hum and the streets were eerily quiet.
After a few minutes, she arrived at her apartment building, each step felt more difficult than the last. She was still troubled by the prior message. "They're pursuing you." It was sent by whom? And why? Untrusting the elevator, she opened her apartment door and climbed the stairs to her floor. Leaning against it to gather her breath, she entered and shut it behind her. For the first time since she began her investigation, Emily recognized how deeply she had gotten caught up in a web she would never be able to escape from the terrible silence of her apartment.
Her heart leaped into her throat as her phone buzzed once again. The message was different this time. "Emily, I warned you. You've gone too far. Now, there is no turning back." As Emily gazed at the TV, her stomach rumbled. Now it was obvious: the game was different. Blackwood wasn't going to stop until she was completely removed from the board because she had gone from reporter to pawn. She collapsed on the couch, her thoughts racing. What had she found? Although she had believed that she was getting closer to the truth, it now appeared that her knowledge was only the beginning. Blackwood was more powerful than she could ever imagine, and she was risking more every time she tried to learn his secrets. However, there was no way to go back. Now she couldn't just leave. She had gone too far.
Her phone buzzed once more, a fresh notification flashing on the screen as she sat there, struggling with the consequences of her choices. An email was sent. One from Margaret, her editor. "I am aware of what you discovered. Someone who says they know Blackwood's secrets has gotten in touch with me. Tomorrow, they will meet with you. But, Emily, exercise caution. This is more than just a tale now. It's a conflict." Her throat tightened with each breath. Emily held her phone, her fingers shaking as she peered at the text. Despite her best efforts to ignore it, she knew that the world was closing in on her. She had gone too far. Furthermore, there was no going back.
The silence was broken by a strong knock on Emily's door as she was trying to absorb the email. A beat skipped across her heart. She wasn't by herself. No more.