Unraveling Threats

Roman’s jaw tightened, a muscle twitching in his cheek. “He doesn’t say. Just that they might have seen something crucial.”

“Crucial?” she echoed, her mind racing. “Crucial how?”

Roman ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. “We need to find out. If this was planned, if someone wanted this to happen, it changes everything.”

The implications twisted her stomach into knots. “You think someone orchestrated the shooting? But why?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice low and tense. He began pacing the small hotel room, the faint hum of the air conditioning blending with the rhythm of his footsteps. “But the designs for the wedding were altered before the event. I thought it was just a simple mistake, but now…”

“Now it could be a set-up,” Ada interjected, realization dawning. “What if someone wanted to target you? Or Celeste? Or even me?”

Silence enveloped them, heavy and suffocating. Roman paused, turning to face her, his expression a mix of fierce determination and uncertainty. “I won’t let you get hurt, Ada. Not because of this.”

“But I’m already in this,” she insisted, her voice rising with conviction. “I can help find this witness. I can find out what really happened.”

He hesitated, indecision flickering in his eyes like a candle about to be snuffed out. “No, it’s too dangerous.”

“But running away won’t solve anything!” she shot back, her frustration spilling over into anger. “We’re tied together now. If someone is targeting us, we have to face it.”

Just then, a knock echoed through the stillness of the room, sharp and unsettling. Each sound reverberated with foreboding, and Ada felt the walls closing in.

“What now?” Roman asked, his expression hardening as he moved toward the door, each step deliberate. Ada’s heart raced, and she felt a chill race down her spine.

“Stay back,” he warned, glancing at her before peering through the peephole. The tension was palpable, thick enough to cut with a knife.

A muffled voice came from the other side, familiar yet unsettling. “Roman, it’s Felix. I need to talk to you.”

“Felix?” Roman repeated, his voice low, as if testing the name. He turned to Ada, his eyes narrowing. “What does he want?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t ignore him,” she said, urgency pressing against her. “What if he has information about the shooting?”

Roman’s gaze flickered to the door, then back to her, the conflict evident on his face. “This could be a trap. I can’t risk it.”

“Or it could be our only chance to learn something,” she countered, her heart pounding. “We don’t have time to waste.”

He bit his lip, weighing the options. Finally, he took a deep breath and nodded. “Fine. But stay behind me.”

As he opened the door, Ada felt the air shift, charged with a mix of anxiety and adrenaline. Felix stood there, his usual confident demeanor replaced by a shadow of urgency.

“Roman,” he said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation. “We need to talk. It’s worse than we thought.”

“Worse?” Roman echoed, his voice low and cautious. “What do you mean?”

Felix leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “There’s a reason they targeted the wedding. And it’s not just you—they’re after something bigger.”

Ada felt her breath hitch. “What do you mean?”

Felix’s gaze darted around the room, as if the walls themselves had ears. “I can’t explain it all here. We need to move—now.”

Roman shifted, his body tensing. “Where?”

“Somewhere safe.” Felix’s eyes locked onto Ada’s. “And you need to trust me.”

The weight of uncertainty settled upon them once more, thickening the air. Roman clenched his fists, glancing between them. “Let’s go, then. But stay alert.”

As they stepped into the dimly lit hallway, Ada couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The walls seemed to pulse with danger, and her heart raced as she followed Roman and Felix into the unknown, each step echoing the growing dread in her mind.

What had they just walked into?