For several seconds, I couldn't breathe.
I stared at the bedroom door while Malik's words echoed inside my head.
You shouldn't have found those photographs.
My best friend was still holding my hand.
Her fingers were cold.
Mine were shaking.
Neither of us said anything.
The door remained half-open.
Then Malik stepped inside.
He looked at me first.
Then at my best friend.
Then at the box on the bed.
His expression changed.
It wasn't the expression of a worried boyfriend.
It wasn't even anger.
It was fear.
Real fear.
"Where did you get that?" he asked.
My best friend stepped between him and the box.
"Why are you here?"
Malik didn't answer.
I stared at him.
"Why do you know about these photographs?"
"Lina—"
"No."
I stood.
"Don't Lina me."
His eyes remained fixed on mine.
"Give me the box."
"Why?"
"Because you don't understand what you're looking at."
"Then explain it."
He said nothing.
I laughed bitterly.
"That's what you always do."
"What?"
"Tell me you're protecting me. Tell me not to worry. Tell me everything is fine."
I pointed toward the box.
"But whenever I ask a question, you disappear."
He lowered his eyes.
"I never wanted you involved."
"Involved in what?"
Silence.
I stepped closer.
"Who is your connection to her brother?"
His jaw tightened.
"How do you know him?"
He looked at my best friend.
"How much does she know?"
She crossed her arms.
"Not enough."
Malik sighed.
"You shouldn't have opened that box."
"Why?"
"Because now you're in danger."
My heart sank.
"Was I not already in danger?"
He looked at me.
"What are you talking about?"
"The phone call."
His face changed.
"What phone call?"
I watched him carefully.
"Someone called me last night."
"What did they say?"
"They told me to stop asking questions."
His expression became unreadable.
"Did you recognize the voice?"
"No."
He looked toward the door.
"Did anyone follow you here?"
"I don't know."
He cursed under his breath.
My best friend immediately noticed.
"You know who it is."
"No."
"You're lying."
"I said no."
I stepped between them.
"Enough."
They both looked at me.
I felt tears gathering in my eyes.
"I deserve the truth."
Malik's expression softened.
"I know."
"Then tell me."
He opened his mouth.
Before he could speak, another voice came from downstairs.
"Malik?"
We froze.
My best friend looked toward the door.
"That's my brother."
Malik's entire body stiffened.
He looked at me.
"Where is he?"
"I told you. He's downstairs."
Malik's eyes darkened.
"Listen to me carefully."
I waited.
"If he comes up here, don't tell him about the photographs."
"Why?"
"Just don't."
Then he turned toward the window.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"I'm leaving."
"Through the window?"
He looked back at me.
"Yes."
I grabbed his arm.
"You're not going anywhere until you explain."
He stared at my hand.
Then at me.
For a moment, something passed through his eyes.
Pain.
Fear.
Maybe regret.
"I love you."
My throat tightened.
"Then stop treating me like a child."
He gently removed my hand.
"I'll explain everything."
"When?"
"Soon."
"When, Malik?"
He didn't answer.
He climbed through the window.
I ran toward it.
By the time I looked outside, he was already gone.
I stood there staring at the empty garden.
My best friend came beside me.
"What are we going to do?"
I didn't answer.
Because I already knew.
We were going to find the truth.
The bedroom door opened.
Her brother stood there.
I had never met him properly before.
I had heard stories.
Apparently, he was difficult.
Private.
Independent.
And someone who didn't trust people easily.
Now that I saw him standing in front of me, I understood why my friend had always described him that way.
He was tall.
Calm.
His dark clothes made his expression appear even more serious.
His eyes moved from his sister to me.
Then to the open window.
"Where's Malik?"
Neither of us answered.
He stepped into the room.
"I asked where Malik is."
My best friend folded her arms.
"Why?"
He looked at her.
"Because he shouldn't be here."
My stomach tightened.
"You know him."
His eyes shifted to me.
"Yes."
"How?"
He hesitated.
"That's complicated."
I laughed.
"Everything is complicated today."
He looked at the box.
My heart immediately noticed.
He knew about it.
"You've seen these photographs before," I said.
His expression hardened.
"Who opened the box?"
"She did," my best friend answered.
He looked at her.
"You shouldn't have."
"Why?"
"Because you don't know what they mean."
I stepped closer.
"Then tell us."
He looked at me.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he picked up one photograph.
"This was taken three years ago."
I stared at the picture.
Malik looked younger.
Her brother stood beside him.
"Where?"
"Somewhere you don't need to know."
"That's not an answer."
"No."
"Then give me one."
He put the photograph down.
"Malik was helping me."
"With what?"
"Something dangerous."
I felt a chill.
"What kind of dangerous?"
He looked directly into my eyes.
"The kind that can get people killed."
My breath caught.
"Who was in danger?"
"Me."
"And Malik?"
"Yes."
I shook my head.
"Why would he be helping you?"
"Because we had a problem."
"What problem?"
He looked away.
"Your boyfriend was involved with people he shouldn't have been involved with."
I stared at him.
"Malik?"
He nodded.
"You're lying."
"I wish I were."
My best friend looked between us.
"What people?"
He didn't answer.
I stepped forward.
"What people?"
He finally looked at me.
"People who don't forgive mistakes."
A silence settled over the room.
I suddenly remembered the phone call.
The warning.
The photographs.
Malik's strange behavior.
Mr. Adrian telling me to be careful.
Everything was beginning to feel connected.
But there was one question I couldn't ignore.
"Why are you telling me this now?"
He studied me.
"Because I think they already know about you."
My heart dropped.
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he asked:
"Did anyone contact you?"
I hesitated.
My best friend looked at me.
"Tell him."
I swallowed.
"Someone called me."
His expression immediately changed.
"When?"
"Last night."
"What did they say?"
"Stop asking questions."
He closed his eyes briefly.
"Damn."
"What?"
He walked toward the window.
"They found you."
"Who found me?"
He turned.
"The people Malik was trying to stay away from."
I sat down.
My legs suddenly felt weak.
"Why would they want me?"
"They don't."
I frowned.
"What?"
"They don't necessarily want you."
"Then why am I involved?"
"Because you're Malik's weakness."
The words hit me harder than they should have.
I looked away.
I didn't want to believe it.
My best friend sat beside me.
"You're saying they can use her to get to Malik?"
"Exactly."
I felt tears slip down my cheek.
"So all this time…"
I couldn't finish.
My boyfriend had secrets.
My best friend's brother had secrets.
Someone was watching me.
And apparently, I had become a target without even knowing why.
Her brother noticed my tears.
His expression softened slightly.
"Don't cry."
I wiped my face quickly.
"I'm not crying."
He gave me a strange look.
"You are."
"I said I'm not."
He almost smiled.
Almost.
Then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression immediately changed.
"Who is it?" my friend asked.
He ignored her.
He answered.
"Hello?"
Silence.
Then he said:
"Where?"
Another pause.
"How long?"
His eyes moved toward me.
I felt uneasy.
He ended the call.
"What happened?" I asked.
He didn't answer.
"Tell me."
He grabbed his jacket.
"We need to leave."
"Why?"
"Now."
My best friend stood.
"What happened?"
He looked at both of us.
"Someone just found Malik."
My heart stopped.
"Where?"
"The old warehouse near the school."
I immediately moved toward the door.
He grabbed my wrist.
"You're not going."
"Let me go."
"No."
"That's my boyfriend."
"And that's exactly why you can't go."
I pulled my hand free.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
"You can't keep deciding what I should know!"
He stared at me.
For the first time, anger appeared in his eyes.
"I'm trying to keep you alive!"
The room became silent.
My heart pounded.
He seemed surprised by his own words.
I stared at him.
"Alive?"
He looked away.
"Forget I said that."
"No."
I stepped closer.
"What do you know?"
"Nothing."
"You're lying."
He didn't answer.
I wiped my tears.
"Take me there."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Then I'll go myself."
He looked at me.
"You really don't know when to stop, do you?"
I lifted my chin.
"No."
Something almost amused crossed his face.
"You're stubborn."
"So I've been told."
He sighed.
"Fine."
My best friend immediately protested.
"I'm coming too."
"No."
"He's my brother."
"And that's why you stay here."
She glared at him.
"You can't order me around."
"Tonight, I can."
He turned toward me.
"Stay close to me."
I nodded.
But as we walked downstairs, I couldn't stop thinking about Malik.
What had he gotten himself into?
And why did his friend's brother seem almost as frightened as I was?
We reached the car.
Before I got inside, my phone vibrated.
I looked down.
Unknown number.
A message.
YOU WERE WARNED.
My blood turned cold.
Then another message arrived.
DON'T GO TO THE WAREHOUSE.
I looked at her brother.
He saw my expression.
"What?"
I handed him the phone.
He read the messages.
His face went completely blank.
"Get inside."
"What?"
"Get inside the car."
I obeyed.
He started the engine.
We drove through the dark streets without speaking.
I stared through the window.
I had never felt so afraid.
But underneath the fear was something else.
Anger.
I was tired of being kept in the dark.
Tired of people making decisions for me.
Tired of everyone telling me they were protecting me while refusing to tell me what I was being protected from.
As the school disappeared behind us, I looked at the man driving.
"My name is Lina," I said quietly.
He glanced at me.
"I know."
"But I don't know yours."
He was silent for a moment.
Then he answered.
"Dominic."
Dominic.
My best friend's brother.
The man who knew Malik's secrets.
The man who had photographs hidden in his room.
And, although I didn't know it yet, the man who would eventually become one of the three most complicated people in my life.
I looked ahead.
"Dominic?"
"Yes?"
"Are you going to tell me the truth?"
His hands tightened around the steering wheel.
"Not tonight."
I sighed.
"Of course."
He glanced at me again.
"But eventually…"
His voice became quieter.
"…you'll wish I hadn't."
I stared at him.
I didn't understand what he meant.
Not yet.
But years later, when I looked back on that night, I would realize something terrifying.
That was the moment Dominic entered my life.
And I had no idea that one day…
I would have to choose between him, Malik, and the man I hated most at school.
Mr. Adrian Cole.