The next morning, I promised myself I would stop thinking about Malik.
It lasted exactly eleven minutes.
I sat at my desk, staring at the blank page in front of me while the same questions kept circling through my mind.
Who were those men at the warehouse?
Why had Malik been working with Dominic?
Why did everyone seem to know something except me?
And why did Mr. Adrian Cole look at me as if he already knew the answers?
I sighed and rubbed my forehead.
"Having a bad morning?"
I nearly jumped out of my seat.
Mr. Adrian stood beside my desk.
Of course.
The most annoying man in the entire school had somehow learned the art of appearing beside me without making a sound.
"I'm fine," I said.
He looked at my notebook.
"You haven't written anything."
"I'm thinking."
"That explains the empty page."
I looked up at him.
"Do you always have to be sarcastic?"
"Yes."
"At least you're honest."
A tiny smile appeared on his face before disappearing.
"Honesty is important, Lina."
Something about the way he said my name made me uncomfortable.
Not because it sounded threatening.
Because it sounded familiar.
As though he'd been saying it for years.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Have we met before?"
His expression changed.
Only for a second.
But I noticed.
"No."
"You hesitated."
"I was surprised by the question."
"Why?"
"Because you ask too many questions."
I stared at him.
That sentence immediately reminded me of the anonymous caller.
Stop asking questions.
My stomach tightened.
Adrian noticed.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine."
"You don't look fine."
"I said I'm fine."
He stepped back.
"Then focus on your work."
He walked away.
I watched him return to the front of the classroom.
Something wasn't right.
I didn't know what it was yet.
But I knew one thing.
Mr. Adrian Cole was hiding something.
And I hated the fact that part of me desperately wanted to know what it was.
During the break, my best friend pulled me into the hallway.
"You need to tell me everything."
"There isn't anything to tell."
She gave me a look.
"Lina."
"What?"
"Yesterday you went to an abandoned warehouse with my brother and Malik."
"I know."
"Men were there."
"I know."
"You almost got killed."
"I know."
"And now you're standing here pretending everything is normal."
I sighed.
"I don't know what else to do."
She lowered her voice.
"Did Malik tell you anything?"
"No."
"Dominic?"
"No."
"Your teacher?"
I froze.
She noticed.
"Wait."
"What?"
"Why did you freeze?"
"I didn't."
"You did."
I looked away.
"Mr. Adrian warned me yesterday that someone was following me."
Her eyebrows rose.
"Why would he know that?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out."
She folded her arms.
"This is getting worse."
"I know."
"And Malik?"
"What about him?"
"Do you still trust him?"
I didn't answer immediately.
That question hurt more than I expected.
Because I wanted to say yes.
I wanted to say that Malik was the one person I could trust.
But after everything that had happened, the word wouldn't come out.
"I don't know," I finally whispered.
My phone vibrated.
Both of us looked down.
A message.
Unknown number.
My heart started beating faster.
I opened it.
HE IS NOT WHO YOU THINK HE IS.
I stared at the screen.
"Who?" my friend asked.
"I don't know."
Another message arrived.
LOOK CLOSER AT YOUR TEACHER.
My blood ran cold.
I immediately looked toward the classroom.
Mr. Adrian was standing inside.
And he was looking directly at me.
I spent the rest of the day watching him.
Not obviously.
At least, I tried not to.
Every movement.
Every conversation.
Every time he left the classroom.
Every person who spoke to him.
There was nothing suspicious.
He behaved like an ordinary teacher.
Strict.
Calm.
Annoying.
But ordinary.
Except I couldn't forget the message.
LOOK CLOSER AT YOUR TEACHER.
When the final class ended, everyone rushed out.
I packed my books slowly.
I wanted to see where Adrian went.
Maybe I was being paranoid.
Maybe someone was simply trying to make me distrust everyone around me.
But I needed answers.
I followed him.
He walked down the corridor toward the administrative wing.
I stayed several metres behind him.
He entered a small office.
I waited.
Thirty seconds passed.
Then a minute.
I moved closer.
The door wasn't completely closed.
I heard his voice.
"I told you to stay away from her."
My heart stopped.
Her?
Who was he talking about?
Another voice answered.
"You're getting too attached."
I couldn't hear the person's voice clearly.
Adrian sounded angry.
"You don't understand."
"I understand perfectly."
A pause.
Then the stranger said:
"She cannot know what happened."
My hand covered my mouth.
What happened?
What did they mean?
I leaned closer.
Suddenly, the door opened.
I stepped backward.
Adrian stood there.
His eyes met mine.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I was looking for you."
"No, you weren't."
I swallowed.
"I heard voices."
His jaw tightened.
"You shouldn't listen to conversations that don't concern you."
"Then tell me what I just heard."
He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him.
"There are things you don't understand."
"Then explain them."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because you're not ready."
I laughed bitterly.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"What do you mean?"
"Malik says he can't tell me things. Dominic says he can't tell me things. Now you are saying the same thing."
His expression hardened.
"You need to stay away from Malik."
My heart sank.
"Why?"
"Because he's dangerous."
"You don't know him."
"I know more about him than you think."
"And how do you know him?"
Silence.
"Answer me."
He looked away.
Then he said quietly,
"I knew Malik before you did."
My heart pounded.
"What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what I said."
"Were you working with him?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Before he could answer, footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.
Adrian immediately looked toward the sound.
His expression changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
"Go home, Lina."
"What?"
"Now."
"Why?"
"Because whoever is coming isn't here for me."
I turned.
A man stood at the far end of the hallway.
I couldn't see his face clearly.
But I recognized his clothes.
Dark jacket.
Black cap.
The same man from the warehouse.
My breath caught.
Adrian grabbed my arm—not roughly, but urgently—and pulled me into the classroom.
"Stay here."
"What are you going to do?"
"Nothing."
"That doesn't look like nothing."
He locked the classroom door.
The footsteps grew louder.
The man walked past.
He stopped outside the classroom.
I could hear my own heartbeat.
Adrian stood between me and the door.
The footsteps remained there for several seconds.
Then they disappeared.
Neither of us moved.
Finally, Adrian unlocked the door slightly and looked outside.
The hallway was empty.
He turned back to me.
"You see now why I told you to be careful?"
I nodded slowly.
"Who was that man?"
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
He stared at me.
"You really don't know when to stop."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Because everyone keeps lying to me."
Something softened in his eyes.
"You're right."
I blinked.
He took a slow breath.
"Someone is trying to use you to get to Malik."
"Who?"
"I don't know."
"Then why me?"
He looked at me for a long moment.
"Because Malik cares about you."
My chest tightened.
"And that's enough to make me a target?"
"Yes."
I looked down.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Trust no one."
I almost laughed.
"That's impossible."
"No."
His voice became quieter.
"It's necessary."
I looked into his eyes.
For the first time, I saw something beneath his strictness.
Fear.
Not for himself.
For me.
And somehow, that frightened me more.
When I finally left the school, my phone vibrated again.
Another unknown message.
I opened it.
ONE OF THE THREE MEN AROUND YOU WILL BETRAY YOU.
I stared at the words.
Three men.
Malik.
Dominic.
Adrian.
My fingers went cold.
A second message appeared.
THE QUESTION ISN'T WHO LOVES YOU.
I held my breath.
Another message came.
IT'S WHO WANTS YOU DEAD.
I stopped walking.
For the first time, I realized something terrifying.
Maybe this wasn't about choosing between three men.
Maybe one of them had never wanted me alive in the first place.