Threat Letter Found

I felt as though the weight of everything that had transpired was weighing down on me, and I wouldn't let go when I woke up the day following the event in Amelia's office. The scene played over and over in my head, the desperate expression in Amelia's eyes, the worry that someone in the company wanted her dead, and the odd sense of duty I suddenly felt for her. Though I should have been glad that she was okay and that I had done something positive, all I could feel was fear.

I kept getting the impression that I was being observed as I walked to the workplace. Whenever I saw someone in the corridor, I couldn't help but wonder if they were the ones responsible for the attack. Though it was delusional thinking, I was unable to resist it in light of what had transpired.

Upon reaching my workstation, I observed a few individuals casting sidelong glances at me, their faces conveying curiosity if not suspicion. I questioned whether they were aware of what had occurred the day before. But that was not possible, Amelia had stated clearly that nobody was to be aware of it. It still unnerved me the way they stared at me. The feeling persisted even when I made an effort to dismiss it by telling myself that I was just feeling distrustful.

I took a seat and attempted to concentrate on my job, but my thoughts kept reminding me of Amelia. I was curious about her condition because I hadn't seen her until today. I knew that must have taken a toll on her because she had been so tough in the aftermath of the attack. Though I didn't want to come across as overly eager, I wanted to see how she was doing. We still maintained a completely professional relationship, if you could even call it that, because well, I was just an intern.

However, a message buzzed through my phone as I was considering going to her office. It was from Amelia, as I could see when I looked down.

"Please come inside my workspace. Right now."

My heart leaped for joy. Trying to maintain a neutral appearance, I hastily gathered my belongings and headed to her office. I kept wondering what she wanted as I was walking. Was there a further issue? Had anything occurred during the night? Each of the scenarios raced through my head, more unsettling than the last.

I arrived at her office, gave the door a little tap, and went in. Even though Amelia was seated behind her desk and appeared calm, there was a stress in her gaze that hadn't been there before. She seemed to be bothered by something, I could tell.

"Close the door," she remarked in a calm, collected tone.

After complying with her request, I moved to stand in front of her desk. "Is everything okay?" I questioned, attempting to hide my concern.

Before speaking, Amelia gave me a long look. Finally, she said, "There's been a development." "I received a letter this morning about a threat."

My tummy fell. "What kind of threat?"

She crossed the desk and shoved a piece of paper in my direction. I took it up and read the words in ragged handwriting scribbled all over it:

"Yesterday, you were fortunate. You won't be so fortunate the next time."

My spine tingled with cold. The brief note had a clear message: whoever attempted to poison Amelia was still at large and hadn't given up.

Amelia's voice was tense as she said, "I found it on my desk when I came in this morning." "Whoever did this has access to this office, which means they're someone in the company."

Feeling a wave of wrath toward her, I gazed up at her. "This needs to be reported to the police. Amelia, take note of this. It's risky who did this."

Her gaze was determined as she shook her head. "Not just yet, I can't involve the police. I can't afford for this to become known to the public the moment they become involved. I need to be strong right now because the board will interpret it as a show of weakness. I have to demonstrate my authority to them."

"But you're not secure," I countered. "If this person is still out there, you're in danger."

She remarked forcefully, "I know that." "But I have to do things my way. I need you to be aware of that."

She was making a mistake, and I wanted to argue with her more, but I could see the resolve in her eyes. She was not going to have second thoughts. Despite all of my instincts telling me that this was incorrect, I chose to nod instead.

"What do you need me to do?" I inquired, accepting that I was now a part of something much riskier than I had ever dreamed of.

With a contemplative gaze, Amelia reclined in her chair. "I need you to watch what goes on in the office. Keep an ear out for any rumors or strange conversations. I want you to notify me right away if you see anything out of the ordinary."

I nodded, even though I felt uneasy about examining my co-workers. I promised to try my hardest.

"Good," she said in a somewhat softer tone. Lucas, you have my trust in this. If I didn't think you could handle it, I wouldn't have asked.

I was not prepared for what she said. This was something that Amelia Marco, the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company, was entrusting to me, an intern. That was frightening as well as flattering. I was aware that if I made a mistake here, it might have terrible repercussions for the entire organization as well as for her.

I told her, "I won't let you down," even though I wasn't sure how I would follow through on my pledge.

Amelia smiled at me, but it was a tiny, tightly closed smile. I couldn't help but notice the tinge of doubt in her voice as she said, "I know you won't."

My mind was buzzing with all that had happened as I was leaving her office. I had suddenly transitioned from being a routine intern to being thrown into a risky scenario for which I was completely unprepared. To top it all off, I had to start spying on my co-workers to find any evidence that would point us in the direction of the attacker.

Despite my best efforts, the situation was too much to handle. Whoever had done this was still out there, observing, waiting for an opportunity to attack once more. And I couldn't figure out who it might be. The cleaner who cleaned the offices at night, the woman who constantly smiled at me in the elevator, and the affable guy in accounting all seemed suspicious at that moment. That thought was horrifying.

I tried to quietly spy on my co-workers for the remainder of the day, keeping an eye out for anything that seemed out of the norm. But my level of distrust increased as I watched more. Every hushed exchange and averted gaze appeared doubtful. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of anxiety and uncertainty, well beyond my abilities.

I was mentally and physically worn out by the time I left the office. I was overwhelmed by the responsibility I had taken on, and I couldn't get rid of the sensation that there was something important missing from the picture that would have led us to the perpetrator of the attack.

I couldn't get rid of the notion that this was just the beginning and that things would only get worse from here, no matter how hard I tried.