It started with a single, nondescript package on my doorstep. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Just a brown box, sealed with plain packing tape, no return address. Maybe I’d ordered something online and forgotten about it.
After everything that had happened with Xavier and Ethan, my mind had been in overdrive. I was barely keeping my head above water, struggling to comprehend the dangerous world I’d found myself in.
But as I picked up the box and saw my name-written in elegant, cursive script that I didn’t recognize-a chill crept up my spine.
“Who could’ve sent this?” I whispered to myself, my eyes scanning the empty street outside my apartment.
With trembling fingers, I brought the package inside, setting it on the kitchen counter. I stared at it for a long moment, hesitant to open it. Something about it didn’t feel right. Something felt… wrong.
I grabbed a knife and slowly cut through the tape, peeling back the cardboard flaps. Inside was a small, red velvet box. I frowned, lifting it out with careful hands. The box felt heavy for its size, and the weight of it only deepened the pit forming in my stomach.
With a deep breath, I opened the lid.
Inside was a delicate silver locket, old and tarnished with age. I lifted it gingerly, the chain slipping through my fingers. My breath caught in my throat as I flipped the locket open, revealing a photo inside.
It was a picture of me.
I stared at the image, a chill creeping over me. It was an old photograph, from when I was no older than six or seven. I recognized the outfit I was wearing-my favorite yellow dress with the little daisies, one I used to wear every chance I got. I hadn’t seen that picture in years.
How did they get this?
I ran my thumb over the tiny image, my heart pounding as memories flooded back. This photo had been taken at the park near my childhood home. My dad and I used to go there every Sunday. It was one of the few good memories I had of my father before he…
Before he died.
The locket slipped from my hands, clattering onto the countertop. I backed away, the room spinning around me.
“Why now?” I whispered, a lump forming in my throat. Why was someone sending me this?
As if on cue, my phone buzzed. My heart skipped a beat as I grabbed it from the table. Another unknown number.
I opened the message, my fingers trembling.
Enjoy the memories, Alyssa. There’s more where that came from.
The phone slipped from my grip, and I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees as the reality of it all began to sink in.
Someone was watching me. They knew about my past. They knew things no one else should know.
And they weren’t finished.
I didn’t sleep that night. The locket stayed on the counter, its presence a reminder that I wasn’t safe. Not anymore.
By the time the sun rose, I was still wide awake, pacing the length of my tiny apartment, my mind spinning in a thousand different directions. I kept checking the door, the windows, expecting something-someone-to be there. But nothing came.
Not until later that afternoon when another package arrived.
This one was smaller, but no less ominous. I knew better than to brush it off as some random delivery. I knew exactly what it was. More threats. More reminders that I was being watched, that my life wasn’t my own anymore.
I tore it open, my heart pounding in my chest.
Inside was a single sheet of paper. Typed, with no signature, no identifying marks. Just a few simple words that made my blood run cold.
Move. Or we’ll come for you.
“I need to get you out of here.”
Ethan’s voice was calm, but I could hear the tension in his words. He stood across from me in my living room, arms crossed, his jaw tight as he watched me.
I shook my head, pacing back and forth, the note still clenched in my hand. “No. I’m not going anywhere, Ethan.”
“Alyssa-”
“I’m serious!” I snapped, turning to face him. “Running isn’t going to help. Whoever’s doing this will find me no matter where I go. You know that as well as I do.”
Ethan’s eyes softened, and he took a step toward me. “I can protect you, Alyssa. But you need to let me. You’re not safe here.”
“And you think I’ll be safe with you?” I shot back, my voice sharp. “You haven’t exactly been honest with me, Ethan. How do I know this isn’t all part of your plan? Or Xavier’s? I don’t know who to trust anymore.”
He flinched at my words, his face tightening with frustration. “I’m not Xavier, Alyssa. You know that.”
“Do I?” I countered. “Because from where I’m standing, you’re both playing some kind of twisted game with my life. And I’m the one stuck in the middle.”
Ethan’s eyes darkened, but he didn’t argue. He simply ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. “I know you’re scared. I know you don’t trust me. But I’m trying to help you. Xavier won’t stop. He’s-”
“Dangerous,” I finished for him. “Yeah, I got that loud and clear.”
Ethan stepped closer, his voice low, almost pleading. “Let me move you to a safer location. Somewhere he can’t reach you.”
I shook my head, taking a step back. “No. I’m not running.”
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re too stubborn for your own good, you know that?”
“Maybe,” I said, crossing my arms. “But I’m not going to let either of you control my life. Not anymore.”
Ethan stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded, though I could tell he didn’t agree with my decision. “Fine. But if anything happens, if you feel unsafe-”
“I’ll call you,” I finished for him, my voice softening. “I promise.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned and left, the door closing quietly behind him.
The next package arrived three days later.
This time, it was larger. Heavier. My hands shook as I brought it inside, setting it on the kitchen table. I knew I should call Ethan, but something stopped me. A part of me didn’t want him involved. Not yet. Not until I knew what I was dealing with.
I cut the tape, my breath hitching as I opened the box.
Inside was a framed photo. An old, faded picture. I pulled it out carefully, my heart racing as I stared at the image.
It was me. As a child. Standing beside my father.
But it wasn’t just us in the picture.
Behind my father, his hand resting on my dad’s shoulder, was a man I hadn’t noticed before. A man I never would have recognized had it not been for the recent events in my life.
Xavier Reed.
My blood ran cold. The frame slipped from my hands and crashed onto the floor, shattering into pieces. I stumbled back, staring at the broken glass, my mind spinning.
Xavier knew my father.
And if he knew my father, then this was more than just a power play. This was personal.
The pieces of the puzzle started falling into place, but the picture they formed was far more terrifying than I could have imagined.