Chapter Sixty-Three: Empty Threats

EVELYN'S POV:

Just when I thought I was finally catching a break from all the chaos, my heart pounded uncontrollably as I deciphered who had sent the message. I cursed under my breath in frustration. I hadn’t even finished dealing with Caleb and Dana, and now this? "Get ready for the battle you just began!" the text read.

I stared at the screen in disbelief. Why was everything happening now? Hadn’t I already been through enough? Yet, as much as I wanted to break down, I knew I couldn’t afford to. Leonard had warned me before: staying strong was my only option. And I will abide by just that.

Sliding my phone into my pocket, I headed to my room to gather my thoughts. I tried to act normal—at least on the surface—but my body betrayed me. My father noticed immediately that something was off when I got back. His concerned gaze lingered as I handed him the documents he had requested earlier.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice tinged with hesitation.

I nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine.” I replied, forcing a weak smile. He didn’t seem convinced, but after a moment, he let me leave without pressing further.

Once back in my room, I locked the door and sat on the edge of my bed, trying to piece together what was happening. Who could have sent that message? And why now? The questions circled my mind like vultures, but no answers came. My chest tightened as the weight of uncertainty pressed down on me. I felt trapped in a maze with no exit.

I went downstairs to grab a bottle of water, hoping it might help calm my nerves. It didn’t. My hands were still shaking as I twisted the cap open. Desperate for distraction, I returned upstairs to take a shower. The warm water flowed over me, but even that couldn’t wash away the sense of dread creeping under my skin.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone rang. The sudden sound startled me, and I quickly grabbed it from the bedside table. Leonard’s name flashed on the screen.

“Hey,” I answered, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Hey yourself,” he replied, his usual upbeat tone evident. “I’m on my way to see you.”

“Alright,” I said, but my lack of enthusiasm didn’t escape him.

“Okay, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice softening.

I hesitated for a moment. Pretending nothing was wrong felt pointless. “Just come over,” I said quietly. “You’ll see.”

Fifteen minutes later, a knock echoed through the house. I opened the door, and there stood Leonard, his bright smile fading as soon as he saw me.

“What’s going on?” he asked, stepping inside. His eyes scanned my face, searching for answers. I handed him my phone without a word.

His expression darkened as he read the text. “Shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He quickly copied the number and dialed someone. “I need this number tracked. Now,” he instructed, his tone sharp. We waited in tense silence as the person on the other end worked on his request.

Moments later, the reply came. “It’s untraceable. It’s a cloned number, likely through G****e,” the voice on the line said.

Leonard cursed again, his frustration palpable. He hung up and sat beside me on the couch, his brow furrowed. “Whoever this is, is so Careful,” he said grimly.

The silence in the room was suffocating. We both stared at the phone, as if willing it to reveal the answers we desperately needed. My mind raced through possibilities. Could it be Dana? Or Caleb? Both had motives, it didn't make sense to be them at the moment.

Then my phone buzzed again. My stomach dropped as I unlocked the screen and read the new message:

“Well, I bet you’re not ready for this, but my dear, I won’t keep this any longer. If you had complied earlier, you wouldn’t get to this stage. But let’s see how your hero saves you from this particular one. Just stay calm and don’t panic too much. It’ll just be a horrible discovery, and that’s all, darling. Stay tuned, baby girl.”

The words sent a chill down my spine. I handed the phone to Leonard without a word. His jaw clenched as he read it, his eyes narrowing in anger.

“This has to be Dana and Caleb,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “Who else?”

Leonard didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against his chest. “I promise you, we’ll find out who’s behind this,” he said firmly. “And when we do, they’ll pay for every single thing.” He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, his touch comforting even in the midst of the storm.

Tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over. I couldn’t hold them back any longer. Leonard wiped them away gently, his presence grounding me as it always did. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the fear. I didn’t know what to expect next, and the uncertainty was eating me alive.

The hours dragged by. I checked my phone obsessively, half-expecting another message to pop up at any moment. But there was nothing. Leonard stayed by my side, trying to distract me with light conversation and updates about his day. We had lunch and dinner together, but the tension lingered like a dark cloud over us.

Finally, as the day began to wind down, we sat together on the couch, discussing our next steps. “We need to stay ahead of this,” Leonard said. 

I nodded, though my mind was still racing. Just as I started to relax, my phone buzzed again. My heart leapt into my throat as I grabbed it. The message opened, and I stood frozen as the words sank in.

Tears streamed down my cheeks, unbidden. Leonard leaned over, his eyes scanning the screen. “What is it?” he asked urgently. But I couldn’t speak. The weight of the message crushed me, leaving me speechless.

As Leonard read the text, his face darkened. His fists clenched at his sides, and his jaw tightened in barely contained rage.