As he chewed on the apple, his thoughts wandered down the dark hallway that led to the bedroom. He couldn't shake the image of her pale face and lifeless body from his mind. A tight knot formed in his chest, was it fear, guilt, or something else he couldn't quite figure out? He put the half-eaten apple down on the plate, its shiny red skin standing out against his swirling emotions, and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. "What are you hiding, Zeynep…" he said softly, the memory of her quiet sobs still ringing in his ears, a haunting reminder of the heaviness in the air. The silence around him felt thick, like a weight he couldn't escape.
He couldn't shake the unsettling question from his mind: why was she holding a knife? She definitely wasn't the weak type, he remembered how fiercely she had fought off that guy in the forest. She certainly wasn't one to back down easily. "I must be missing something," he thought, feeling a knot of confusion in his stomach.
He got up from the chair and walked to the bedroom, feeling a knot in his stomach. She was lying on the bed, looking pale and totally lifeless. Guilt hit him hard for forgetting to cover her with the blanket; it seemed like such a small thing that could've at least given her some comfort. He gently pulled the blanket over her, wishing he could do more to help, before reluctantly turning away. That image stuck in his mind and weighed him down.
Outside, he headed to the tunnel to check the CCTV footage, needing to figure out what had gone down while he was out of the cabin. The tunnel was dimly lit, and he could hear Leo typing away furiously on his laptop, completely zoned in on the investigation. The screen's glow cast shadows on Leo's worried face, but he was too absorbed in his work to notice Zayden at first.
"Leo?" Zayden called, urgency creeping into his voice.
Leo jumped, taken aback by Zayden's sudden appearance. "What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly surprised.
Zayden's expression turned serious as he said, "When I got to the cabin, she was on the floor, bleeding from her forehead, and she had a knife clutched in her hand. I need to see what happened just before she passed out." The weight of his words filled the air with a desperate urgency for answers.
Leo was stunned. "What?" he blurted out as he quickly pulled up all the CCTV footage. As they watched, both of them were taken aback, someone had actually entered the cabin. They exchanged looks of shock and disbelief. Who the hell had the nerve to come into the cabin? Who were these people trying to grab her? And why on earth were they out to kill her? The questions raced through their minds, amplifying their fear of what lay ahead.
Leo couldn't help but think that the girl was really in a tough spot. If she figured out who they really were, things could get complicated fast for both of them. They definitely didn't want their secrets getting out; it could put them in serious trouble. Just imagining the chaos made his stomach churn.
He turned to Zayden and asked, "What did you tell her about me? And about yourself?"
Zayden shrugged and said, "I didn't mention anything about myself or you. She doesn't know anything about us."
Leo frowned and asked again, "Does she know about the secret tunnel?"
Zayden looked puzzled. "No, why do you ask?"
"Because if they can get into the cabin, they might find the tunnel too. If they can discover your hidden cabin, they could track us down easily. We can't risk exposing ourselves, especially not out here in the woods all alone. You don't have any guards around, and what if she's a secret agent? Maybe that's why she isn't telling you who she really is."
Zayden couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. She had mentioned being a hacker, and it made him wonder if she was linked to some secret agency. Perhaps she was framed for something, or maybe she had uncovered a huge truth. Then again, she might have just given him a mix of half-truths and lies. With all these thoughts racing through his mind, he muttered to himself, "Who knows?"
Leo sat in silence, staring at the frozen CCTV frame on his screen. The soft glow of the monitor highlighted the tension written all over his face. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, itching to type but held back by the weight of uncertainty. For years, he'd been Zayden's go-to guy, the one who spotted trouble before it hit and noticed the little things others overlooked. But this time, it felt different. The person who entered the cabin moved as if they owned the place, as if they knew it inside and out. This wasn't something random; it was deliberate.
What if she led them here? That thought jabbed at him. Everything about her, the timing, her presence at such a crucial moment, and now the break-in, seemed way too convenient. He hated loose ends, and she was the biggest one hanging over him. Leaning back in his chair, he shut his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. If she were involved, Zayden might let his feelings get in the way of good judgment. That scared Leo more than the intruders themselves. He'd seen Zayden make hard choices before, but never about someone who really got under his skin.
Meanwhile, Zayden was slouched against the rough tunnel wall, arms crossed tightly over his chest. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He couldn't stand not knowing and felt completely out of control. Zeynep's pale face popped into his head again, along with the image of her gripping that knife, holding it like it was her only chance at survival. She wasn't the type to be suicidal; that didn't add up. So, was it all a setup? Or did someone pressure her into that situation?
He ran a hand through his messy hair, frustration bubbling up. She's definitely hiding something, he thought. But so are they. The folks who broke in were clearly no amateurs. If they found this place once, they could come back.
And then a quieter thought fluttered through his mind, one he didn't want to face. "Why do I care this much?"
Both of them, stuck in their separate corners of the tunnel, were drowning in their suspicions, different worries, but lost in the same heavy silence. And in that silence, a dangerous question started to form, Who could they really trust?