OFFER

💀CHAPTER 15

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ғɪғᴛᴇᴇɴ
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"Should I tell the others?" I asked.

"I don't think any of them are the men I saw. But you should tell Noah, Elijah, Natalie, James, and Gian—so they know to be cautious. Just don't tell anyone else for your safety," William said.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, looking down.

"Don't be afraid," he said, which made me look up at him. "Only tell the ones I mentioned. That way, you'll stay safe," he added.

"I thought I'd lost your concern," I teased.

"I know you. You'd do anything to protect others, even if it put your own life at risk," he replied.

"You be careful too," I said, and he nodded. "You should go inside and get some sleep. I'll head back and try to sleep as well," I said, standing up.

"Okay, take care," he said as I started to walk away. But then he called out to me, so I turned back. "Goodnight," he said shyly. I smiled. "Goodnight. Now go get some rest," I said with a smile, turning around again and walking away.

***
(BRIANNA P.O.V)

As I talked with William about what happened yesterday, I shared the details with the others. They were all shocked and scared at the same time. I also told Gian, who found it hard to believe, but he said he wouldn't trust anyone except us to stay safe.

Noah, on the other hand, wanted to avoid the other people here too, but he couldn't. He was the first one to arrive and had made a lot of friends, so distancing himself from them would only raise suspicions if they somehow overheard what we knew.

"But who could it be?" Natalie asked, her voice shaky.

"We don't have a clue either. William said the guy pretending to be a server seemed familiar, but he couldn't figure out who it was since the man was completely covered," I explained.

"What if that guy overheard us? What if he tries to harm us?" James said nervously.

"We have to be careful and protect each other, no matter what," Noah said firmly.

"But... what if one of us is that guy? I mean, Natalie, Brianna, and I are probably out of suspicion since I'm new here compared to the rest of you," James added, clearly uneasy.

"Don't say that," Elijah said sharply. "We can't start doubting each other. If we do, we'll be breaking our friendship, and that's exactly what could ruin us. We can't let this tear us apart."

"Ugh... sorry, I'm just worried about myself," James muttered. Noah stepped forward and put a hand on his arm.

"Don't worry. None of us would lie to each other—we're true friends, right? Trust us," Noah said reassuringly.

"Are we sure William heard it correctly?" Elijah asked, trying to calm the situation.

"Yes, he was alone when he overheard them. There was no background noise or anything to distract him. I asked him the same thing yesterday, and he's certain of what he heard," I explained.

"I'm so nervous, James had a point," Natalie said, her voice trembling.

"But Elijah and Noah are right too," I said. "We can't let fear tear us apart. If we start doubting each other, our friendship will fall apart. Our bond is too strong, and I don't want to lose that."

"Yeah, I don't want to lose our friendship either," Elijah agreed. "Me neither," Noah added. "Me three, but Elijah and Noah are right. I'll trust all of you," James said with a small smile. "Me four, I'll trust you guys too," Natalie echoed.

"Even though I'm not as close to all of you yet, I want you to know that I'm not that guy," Gian said earnestly. "I wouldn't lie, especially not to William. He saved me and helped me. I owe him the truth."

"Don't worry, Gian. You belong here. We trust you," Natalie reassured him.

"Yeah, you don't seem like a bad person at all. You're kind, and I trust you, Gian," James added with a smile.

"Thank you, everyone," Gian said, smiling gratefully.

(WILLIAM P.O.V)

Who could that man be? I'm so nervous for them. I'm not there, so I can't know what's happening, and I can't protect them since I can't stay for long. That man... who is he? He seems so familiar. I think I was close to him. He's tall, has broad shoulders, but I'm not sure since the coat wasn't fitted. Maybe it was just the coat making his shoulders look broad. Even though I only saw his back and side view, he's really familiar. I'm just afraid that it might be one of my friends—maybe James, Elijah, Noah, or Gian since they're the only ones who are my friends there. But I trust them, and it could be someone else who just seems familiar because I've talked to some of them before, and I know their names and faces.

I can't suspect my friends because I trust them, and I believe none of them would do that. It's too dangerous if it's one of them. I'm also scared they might start suspecting each other, and that could be the end of their friendship. I can't let that happen. I wish I hadn't told them. I wish I could turn back time, and that I was the only one who knew. Maybe it would've been better that way—no conflict, no one feeling left out, and, most importantly, no risk of ruining their friendship. I could have investigated it alone.

Their friendship is so deep, and if it breaks, it'll be my fault for saying anything. I wish I could turn back time, but I know I can't. I need to face the consequences of my decision.