Chapter 8: Nothing Feels Safe Anymore

The next morning, Adrian woke up on Lara's couch, stiff and confused for a second. The room was quiet, but it felt heavy, like something bad was still in the air. He sat up slowly, blinking at the sunlight coming in through the curtain.

Lara was in the kitchen, making coffee. She looked over her shoulder and smiled a little. "You slept okay?"

He rubbed his face. "Not really, but thanks."

There was a long silence as the coffee machine made noise. Adrian didn't know how to say what he was feeling. His heart had this strange weight, like the folder from last night changed everything. He wasn't just a quiet actor anymore. He was part of something deeper now.

"Lara," he said slowly, "do you think they know I have this info now?"

She turned around, holding a mug. "If they're smart—and they are—then yes. They probably know you saw everything."

Adrian took the mug from her hand and sat down. "So what now? I go to the police?"

She shook her head quickly. "No, not yet. Some of them are involved too. We don't know who to trust."

He stared at her. "Then what am I supposed to do? Hide forever?"

"You don't hide," she said, sitting beside him. "You be smart. We find out who's behind this fully, and then we expose them the right way."

Adrian didn't say anything. He just kept looking at the floor.

Later that day, he went back to his apartment. Everything looked the same, but felt completely different. His walls, his bed, even his toothbrush didn't feel safe anymore.

While checking his phone, he saw a strange message from an unknown number. Just one sentence.

"You shouldn't have watched."

Adrian's hands started to shake. He deleted the message, locked his door, and sat down on the floor. Everything around him was moving too fast. His quiet life had turned into a nightmare and the worst part was this was only the beginning.