Chapter 4 – The Night He Disappeared
Evelyn gripped the letter tightly in her hands. Her heartbeat thumped loudly in her ears as she stared at the words. It had been seven years. She had convinced herself that Adrian was a part of her past, something she had moved on from. But now, everything she had believed was starting to unravel. She looked up at him, her eyes full of anger and confusion. "Tell me what happened," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Adrian didn't move. His fingers rested against the rim of his coffee cup, his expression tense but controlled. He looked like he had been waiting for this moment for a long time, like he had prepared himself for what he was about to say. "The night I left…" he started slowly, his voice soft, almost as if he was trying to keep his emotions in check. "I didn't leave by choice."
Evelyn's chest tightened. She had imagined this conversation in her head so many times. She had dreamed of yelling at him, demanding an explanation, telling him how much he had ruined her. But now that it was happening, all she felt was fear. "What do you mean?" she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Adrian's eyes met hers, and for the first time, she saw something she had never seen in him before. Pure, unfiltered anger. His face hardened as he spoke again. "That night, I was taken." Evelyn's breath hitched in her throat. "Taken?" she repeated, her voice shaky with disbelief. Adrian nodded slowly, his jaw tight. "I got a call from a blocked number. They told me to meet them behind the old train station—alone."
A cold shiver ran down Evelyn's spine. "Why would you go?" she asked, not understanding why Adrian would trust someone enough to go meet them in such a dangerous situation. Adrian's jaw tightened further. "Because they said they had information about my dad," he replied. Evelyn's stomach twisted. Adrian's father had died when they were sixteen, in a car accident. Or at least, that's what everyone had been told. She had never pressed him about it—he never liked talking about his father. But now, it all seemed connected in ways she couldn't understand.
"What happened when you got there?" Evelyn asked, trying to make sense of it all. Adrian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table as he looked at her. "I waited for an hour. No one came. Then—" He hesitated, like he wasn't sure how much to reveal. "Someone hit me from behind." Evelyn's fingers curled around the edge of the table, her eyes wide with shock. "You were attacked?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Adrian nodded slowly. "I blacked out. When I woke up, I wasn't in Brookdale anymore."
Evelyn felt her throat go dry. "Where were you?" she asked, her heart racing. Adrian's gaze darkened, and for the first time, he looked truly afraid. "Somewhere I was never supposed to leave." Evelyn shook her head, trying to process what he was saying. "No. That doesn't make sense. People disappear, Adrian. But not for seven years. Not without someone noticing."
"They made sure no one noticed," Adrian said quietly, his voice filled with frustration. "Who?" Evelyn asked, still in disbelief. Adrian hesitated before answering, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know," he admitted. Evelyn stared at him in shock. "Seven years, and you don't know?" she said, her voice rising in disbelief. Adrian clenched his fists, his eyes full of anger and confusion. "I know they were watching me, controlling what I could do and say. And I know one more thing."
His eyes met hers again, full of determination. "They didn't want me anywhere near you." The words hit Evelyn like a blow to the chest. She gasped, feeling a chill run through her. Her breath came out unsteady as she whispered, "But why?" Adrian exhaled sharply, looking down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "I don't know," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "But I'm going to find out."
Evelyn looked down at the stack of letters in front of her, the ones she had found and read after all these years. Someone had kept them apart, someone had stolen seven years of her life. She wasn't just searching for closure anymore; she was searching for the truth. Slowly, she reached for another letter, feeling the weight of what she was about to discover. She had spent so many years trying to forget Adrian Hale, but now, she realized—she was never meant to forget. And this was only the beginning.