Rejected: A love story-Chapter 98: Stop looking for her, or you’ll regret it.I

Nathan wanted to continuing following Fiona, but Caleb appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his arm. "Let her go, man."

Nathan whipped around, his eyes blazing. "You saw her, Caleb! She’s terrified. Something’s wrong, and I’m not just going to stand here and do nothing."

Caleb hesitated, then sighed. "Alright, fine. But let’s do this smart. Running after her isn’t going to help."

Nathan clenched his jaw, knowing Caleb was right. "Then what do you suggest?"

Caleb smirked. "We start with Ella. She knows more than she’s letting on."

Nathan could only watch the empty corner Fiona had ran off to, Didn’t she trust him enough to protect her? He could even quit his job to protect her!! Why?? Because he was madly inlove with her!!

"Nathan, stop spacing out and let’s go!"

##Back at Ella’s apartment, Caleb knocked on the door while Nathan paced behind him. Ella opened the door cautiously, her eyes darting between the two brothers.

"What now?" she asked, her voice shaky.

Caleb stepped forward, his expression calm. "We just want to talk, Ella. That’s all."

Ella crossed her arms, leaning against the doorframe. "I already told you, I don’t know anything."

Caleb raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Ella. You’re her best friend. You’re telling me she hasn’t said anything about why she’s acting like this?"

Ella hesitated, her gaze flickering to Nathan, who was glaring at her like he could see straight through her. "She’s been... stressed," Ella said finally. "That’s all I know."

"Stressed about what?" Caleb pressed. "School? Family? Nathan?"

Ella opened her mouth to respond but quickly shut it, her eyes darting away. Caleb noticed the way her hands fidgeted nervously, and his suspicion grew.

"You’re lying," he said bluntly.

"I’m not!" Ella snapped, her voice rising. "I told you, I don’t know anything!"

Caleb leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Ella, if you care about Fiona, you’ll tell us the truth. She’s in trouble, isn’t she?"

Ella’s eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head. "I can’t," she whispered. "I can’t say anything, I’m sorry but you won’t be getting anything from me. If you have a question, ask Fiona directly. Don’t come to me."

Nathan stepped forward, his patience wearing thin. "Ella, if you know something and you’re not telling me, you’re putting her in danger. Is that what you want?"

Ella looked at him, her lip trembling. "You don’t understand," she said, her voice barely audible. "If I tell you, they’ll come after me. After my family."

Nathan froze. "Who? Who will come after you?"

Ella shook her head again, backing into the apartment. "I can’t," she repeated. "I’m sorry. I already told you, if you have questions ask Fiona directly. "

She shut the door before either of them could say another word.

Nathan and Caleb stood in silence for a moment, the weight of Ella’s words sinking in. Caleb was the first to speak. "Okay, so now we know she’s definitely hiding something. And they are scared to speak or have been instructed not to."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. "Who the hell is threatening them? And why?"

Caleb shrugged. "I don’t know, man. But it sounds serious. We need to figure out who’s behind this."

Nathan nodded, his jaw tightening. "And we will. But first, we need to find Fiona."

"Nathan, get yourself together. She needs space now."

"Space? Yea tell that to yourself when you’re inlove! I..." He hesitated but continued. "I can’t live without Fiona"

####

Meanwhile, Fiona arrived at a secluded parking lot on the outskirts of town. A sleek black car was waiting for her, she hesitated for a moment before approaching, her heart pounding in her chest.

The window rolled down, revealing a woman with sharp features and cold eyes. "You’re late," the woman said, her voice dripping with disdain.

"I came, didn’t I?" Fiona shot back, trying to keep her voice steady.

The woman smirked. "Feisty as ever. I like that. But let’s not forget who’s in control here."

Fiona clenched her fists. "What do you want from me? I’ve already done what you asked.

The woman tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh, Fiona. You didn’t think it would be that easy, did you? You still have a role to play."

Fiona’s stomach churned. "You said if I left him, you’d leave Ella and her brother alone."

The woman laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "I said I’d think about it. But now I need you to do one more thing."

Fiona’s hands trembled as she stared at the woman. " "You’re lying! How can i even trust any word you say?"

Fiona waited but the woman said nothing. She had no choice but to comply.

"What do you want me to do?"

The woman’s smile widened. "You’ll find out soon enough. For now, just stay away from Nathan. And remember—one wrong move, and that brat of a brother and your best friend won’t be so lucky next time."

Fiona’s heart sank as the car sped away, leaving her alone in the empty street. She wiped her tears and took a deep breath. ’I have to protect them’, she told herself. Even if it means losing everything.

Back at the office, Nathan and Caleb were poring over everything they knew, trying to piece together the puzzle. Nathan couldn’t shake the image of Fiona’s tear-streaked face from his mind. He slammed his fist on the table, making Caleb jump.

"This isn’t just about us," Nathan said, his voice low and determined. "Someone’s threatening her, It’s someone close. I’m sure of it."

Caleb nodded. "Yeah, but who? And why?"

Nathan’s phone buzzed, pulling his attention. It was a message from an unknown number: "Stop looking for her, or you’ll regret it."

Nathan stared at the screen, his blood running cold. He showed the message to Caleb, who whistled low. "Well, that’s not ominous at all."

Nathan’s grip on the phone tightened. "They think they can scare me off? They have no idea who they’re messing with."