Elise's nerves were frayed, her thoughts spinning in a constant loop of fear and doubt. The man's warning gnawed at her, and for the first time, she wasn't sure whether she was the one chasing the truth—or whether the truth was chasing her.
She met with Greg that afternoon, but something was off. He was distant, eyes darting around as if he were afraid of being watched. Elise didn't miss the tension in his voice when he spoke, his words clipped and rushed.
"Elise, we need to stop," he said, his voice low and strained. "You're in too deep. This is bigger than we thought."
She shook her head, frustration building. "No, Greg. We're so close. We can't stop now."
Greg's face hardened, his jaw clenched as he took a step back. "You don't understand. We're being manipulated. You're being manipulated."
Elise's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"
"You're not just chasing a missing person, Elise," Greg said, his voice growing colder. "This is a game. Someone's playing with your mind. With both of ours."
His words hit her like a slap, and for the first time in days, Elise felt the weight of what he was saying. She had been so consumed by the case, so obsessed with uncovering the truth, that she hadn't stopped to consider the possibility that everything she believed to be true might be a lie.
"But why? Why me?" Elise whispered, her voice barely audible.
"I don't know," Greg admitted. "But I do know that we're being watched. And if we keep going, we're not going to like what we find."
Elise's thoughts raced as she processed his words. She had never been one to back down, but something about Greg's warning felt too real to ignore. She didn't know who to trust anymore—herself, Greg, or the shadowy figure pulling the strings from behind the scenes.