Chapter 63: Chapter 63: The Stakes Are Raised
The next morning, Cole woke up to find a note slipped under the door of his apartment. It was written in neat, precise handwriting, and it contained just one sentence:
_"You should have taken the offer."_
Cole crumpled the note in his fist, his heart pounding in his chest. The men from the underground weren't backing off—they were escalating. And now, they were making it clear that they weren't just going to sit back and watch him succeed without interference.
He paced around his small apartment, trying to think. They were watching him, that much was obvious. But what was their next move? Would they come after him directly? Or would they target his friends?
The thought sent a jolt of fear through him. He could handle himself, but Ty, Zack, Lina—they weren't fighters, not in the same way he was. If these men decided to go after them, Cole wasn't sure he'd be able to protect them.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts. Cole opened it to find Lina standing there, her expression serious.
"I heard about the note," she said, stepping inside. "Zack told me."
Cole sighed, running a hand through his hair. "They're not going to stop, Lina. I don't know what to do."
Lina crossed her arms, her gaze steady. "We're not going to let them scare us, Cole. We'll be careful, we'll stick together, and we'll figure this out."
Cole nodded, though his mind was still racing. "I just don't want you guys to get hurt because of me."
"We knew what we were getting into when we decided to stick by you," Lina said, her voice firm. "You're not responsible for everything, Cole. We're a team, remember?"
Cole looked at her, feeling a mixture of gratitude and frustration. She was right, of course. He didn't have to carry this burden alone. But it didn't stop him from feeling the weight of it pressing down on him.
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