MORE ANONYMOUS WARNINGS

"Who’s at the door?" Sam questioned over the phone, her voice trembling.

I said in a whisper, my fingers lingering over the doorknob, "I don't know."

Evelyn, if you're afraid, don't open it. It may just be a delivery."

I inhaled deeply before carefully opening the door. Nobody was present. Slept on the floor, just another envelope. When I took it up, my heart raced.

I said, looking at the envelope in my hands, "It's another letter."

"What does it say?" inquired Sam.

With shaking hands, I opened it swiftly. Like the previous letter, this one was brief: "He's hiding something."

My stomach dropped.

"Sam, I'm not sure what's going on," I responded, attempting to maintain composure. "Someone’s playing games with me."

"Who could be doing this?" Sam seems just as perplexed as I was.

"I'm not sure. Jack may be the one. However... I'm not sure." I took a seat on the sofa with the letter still in my grasp.

Sam emphasized, "You have to tell Nathaniel about this."

"I can't," I blurted out. "Not yet."

"Why not?"

"I have no idea what's happening. How come this may be about him? I muttered.

Sam was silent for a while. "You really think Nathaniel could be hiding something from you?"

I chose not to respond. I had lost any sense of what to think.

I met Nathaniel at his office later that day. He appeared anxious as he sat at his desk.

I tried to seem casual when I remarked, "You seem distracted."

He looked from his computer to me and back again. "Just business-related matters. There's nothing to be concerned about."

I took a seat across from him and felt uncomfortable. "Are you certain? You haven't been acting the same recently."

Nathaniel furrowed his brow and groaned. It's only labor. Right now, things are tricky."

"What kind of complications?" I questioned cautiously.

He gave a headshake. Evelyn, you don't have to worry about it. I'll take care of it."

I wasn't reassured by his statements. "I feel like you’re not telling me everything."

Nathaniel directed his earnest gaze towards me. "I deal with tough situations in my life. However, I don't want to involve you in it."

A shiver went through me. "Why won’t you just tell me?"

He got up and moved toward the window. "Because it’s better if you don’t know."

Unsure of what to say, I just gazed at him. "You sound like you’re hiding something."

Nathaniel avoided turning to face me. "Maybe I am."

I kept thinking about his remarks all night long. Perhaps I am. What did he have to hide from me? Furthermore, why didn't he simply tell me?

On the table, my phone buzzed. One more message. As I lifted it up, my heart skipped a beat.

"You can’t trust him." It came from a new number, but it was the same message as previously.

I gazed at the display, my heart racing. "You can’t trust him." My mind kept repeating the phrase.

With haste, I texted Sam, "Another message."

With practically no delay, she said, "What does it say this time?"

"Exact same thing. I'm being told not to put my confidence in Nathaniel."

Sam said right away: "This is starting to get strange. Who may be carrying out this action?"

I was at a loss for words. My thoughts were racing. I was unsure if it was Nathaniel, Jack, or someone else.

I tried to appear normal when I saw Nathaniel again the next day. But I couldn't get rid of the uneasy sensation I had. I could not get his comments from yesterday out of my head. Perhaps I'm concealing something.

Looking at me across the table, Nathaniel murmured, "You're quiet today."

"Just thinking," I said, prodding at my meal.

He scowled. "What are you thinking about?"

"Are you hiding something from me, Nathaniel?" I questioned gently after hesitating for a moment.

He did not respond immediately. His expression remained neutral, yet there was a glimmer of something in his eyes.

His voice remained firm as he added, "I told you, there are things I don't want to involve you in."

"But you're concealing something," I said, seeing our relationship becoming more tense.

With a groan, Nathaniel massaged his temples. Evelyn, it's business. Things that are too difficult to describe."

I cried out in exasperation, "But you're not telling me the truth."

He gave me a stern look. "Why do you keep promoting this? What's actually happening?"

My palm clenched around my pocket phone as I paused. Shall I share the texts with him? Do I share the letters with him?

I murmured quietly, trying not to look him in the eye, "I just need to know if I can trust you."

It took Nathaniel a long while to say anything. "You are able to rely on me. It does not follow, however, that I can tell you everything."

I walked home alone that evening, my mind heavy. I was tempted to trust him. I desired to have faith in him. However, the letters and messages were reaching me.

Another note was waiting for me on the doorstep when I got to my flat. As I lifted it up, my fingers trembled and my heart raced. The envelope was the same as the others: simple. With a sense of dread, I cautiously opened it.

Like the others, the message inside was brief and said, "He's lying to you."

I stood there, my head whirling as I stared at the words. Who was in charge of this? What made them so certain that Nathaniel was lying?

My phone buzzed once more as I turned to get inside. One more message. Heart thumping, I peered down at the screen.

"You’re in danger."

My blood grew cold and I went limp. Was this a different kind of game? Or was I truly being observed by someone?