The Shadow in the Dark

The past had unfinished business.

Andrew sat in his study, the dim glow of his desk lamp casting long shadows along the bookshelves. The photograph from the envelope lay in front of him, its grainy edges curling slightly from where he had been gripping it too tightly. His fingers traced the word scrawled in red ink on the back:

Soon.

Someone was watching them.

And worse? They wanted him to know.

A calculated move.

Not an attack, not a threat—yet.

A message.

Evelyn entered the room, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. She was dressed in an elegant black suit, her usual aura of composure untouched, but Andrew knew her well enough to notice the sharpness in her gaze when she looked at him, then at the photo.

She narrowed her eyes. “Who sent it?”

Andrew exhaled, shaking his head. “No return address. No fingerprints. No clue.” He flipped the photo over, showing her the chilling word in red ink.