𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 | Jay

22

The four men were pictured in the photo. When Jay picked up the picture and they recognized which four men they were, the two stared at each other in shock.

----

The men in the picture were undoubtedly their fathers, Mary's father and Smith. Why were their fathers friends with Smith and Mary's father? Why had they never found out about this connection? And most importantly, what did this friendship have to do with the murders and disappearance of Mary's parents?

Jay grabbed the photo and stammered, "That can't be right. Our fathers, Mary's father and that Smith... they were friends. But why didn't they ever tell us about it?"
Y/n could only shake her head, her mind racing. "I have no idea. But there must be a reason why Smith got so angry. This connection between our families and Smith could be the key to solving the case."Jay nodded. "We need to talk to Smith again. He is the only one of the four who is still here. He may be in danger too." Y/n nodded. She looked at the clock. "It's already late. We have to go tomorrow."Jay sighed and nodded.

--

Y/n lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Her mind was full of thoughts about the impending encounter with Smith, the mysterious photo and the connection between the men. At the same time, she felt the pressure of responsibility for the hotel chain, which was constantly present in her thoughts.The worries cast dark clouds over her mind.

Jay lay next to her and she could hear his calm breathing. He noticed how stressed she was and put an arm around her. "Y/n, try to relax," he whispered softly. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It was a kiss that made them forget their worries for a moment and reminded them how much they needed each other.Y/n returned the kiss, her hands finding their way to Jay's cheeks. When they finally broke apart, their eyes met. In Jay's eyes she saw love, trust and a willingness to support her in everything. It was a look that told her that together they could overcome any challenge.

"Thank you," Y/n whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "I love you, Jay." Jay smiled lovingly and brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. "I love you too, Y/n. We'll get through this together."

--

The next day, after spending a restless night with many unanswered questions, Y/n, Jay and Eric set off to Smith's house again. The sun was rising on the horizon as they arrived.
The neighborhood was quiet.

When they reached the front door, Eric knocked forcefully.
But no one answered.
The silence was oppressive and the curtains in the house were drawn. Jay tried to open the door but it was locked.

"Maybe he hasn't gotten up yet," Eric suggested. "Let's wait a little longer."
The three stared at the closed door as the minutes ticked by. But the silence remained unbroken.

Eric's impatience grew and he decided to open the door. It happened with a strong kick.

The door swung open and they entered the dark house."Smith?" Y/n called out uncertainly. "Are you there?"

No Answer.

The three searched the house room by room, but Smith was nowhere to be found. His bedroom was messy. The closet was empty.

Eric remarked, "It looks like Smith disappeared overnight."
Y/n could sense the worry in his voice. "But why? What made him leave so hastily? We have to find out what he knows and why he reacted so angrily towards us." The others agreed.

All they found were outdated bills, a few personal items, and some unrelated books.Eric inspecting the papers on Smith's desk. "It looks like Smith has taken everything that might be of importance. This doesn't get us anywhere."

Y/n, who was looking for a clue to the men seen in the mysterious photo, was frustrated. "It's as if he has erased everything that has to do with the shared past. Why would he do that?"
Jay stepped closer, "Maybe he was afraid we would find out too much and that's why he ran away. But we need to find out more information about this friendship."

At that moment, Eric's phone vibrated. He pulled it out and answered the call. After a short conversation with one of his colleagues, he hung up and turned to the others. "We shouldn't go back to Y/n's house. A van has been there for a while and seems to be watching the house. It could be dangerous."

Y/n and Jay looked at each other worriedly. "Whoever Smith is, he wants to prevent us from learning more about this friendship."

The three left Smith's home.
During the drive to Y/n's office, they were accompanied by a tense silence. The knowledge that someone was watching her movements had strained her nerves.

Once in Y/n's office, they locked the door behind them and sat around the desk. The mysterious photo album lay before them, still a mystery waiting to be solved.

Jay looked at the album and said, "We need to know more about our fathers' friendship with Smith and Mary's father. There must be a reason why they never told us about it. Something must have happened."

While Y/n, Jay and Eric were in Y/n's office thinking about how to solve the mysteries of their fathers and Smith's strange connection, there was a knock on the office door.

"Sorry to bother you, but I have an urgent matter," Sarah, Y/n's assistant, began. Y/n nodded. "What happened?"Sarah took a deep breath and explained, "There have been some unexpected issues with one of the hotels having significant booking issues over the last week. It appears there have been some double bookings and confusion, and some bookings have disappeared." Y/n frowned. "This is really unusual. We've never had problems like this before. What do you think is the reason for this?"

Sarah hesitated for a moment before answering: "It could be that it's a technical error, but there's also the possibility that someone has hacked into our booking systems." Y/n nodded. "Let's get the IT department involved immediately to find out if there are any signs of a hacker attack.""I will contact the IT department immediately."

After Sarah left the office, Y/n returned to Jay and Eric. She could see their worried looks as she closed the door again.
The possibility that someone had broken into their booking systems made them all feel uneasy. The secrets their families had kept from them seemed to intertwine into a web of intrigue and danger.

--

Jay broke the silence and said, "This is all so strange. The connection between our fathers, Mary's father and Smith, the mysterious photo and now this possible hacker threat. It feels like someone is just playing wicked games with and from which we don't know how it will end."Y/n nodded in agreement. "I wonder if this is all connected. The murders, our fathers' friendship with Smith and Mary's father, and now this surveillance - there must be a connection. And now I really don't believe Mary was the murderer. "

Eric, who was driving the car that was taking them home to Jays', looked in the rearview mirror and said, "We still don't know why Smith was so angry at us when he saw the photo."Jay sighed and looked out the window. "I wish we had more answers."

Eric parked the car and they got out.
-
They sat on the sofa in the living room of Jay's house. Eric broke the silence again and said worriedly, "We should be careful. If someone has actually broken into our systems, we could be under constant surveillance. That means anything we discuss could be heard." Y/n nodded.

 "Eric. You can take a break. You've worked so hard. Please rest." Eric shook his head "I'm not leaving you alone Y/n. I promised your father that I would protect you. Until my last breath!"Y/n sighed and looked at Eric "I know. But you can't protect me if you're exhausted. Jay is with me. You need sleep just like us!" Eric looked at her uncertainly before finally taking a deep breath and agreeing, "I'll be back here in the morning."Y/n smiled and nodded, "Goodnight Eric."
-
The two sat in silence in the living room.Y/n looked at Jay who was sitting on the sofa next to her. He looked exhausted. "Jay," she began quietly, "you're thinking too much." Jay sighed and leaned back. "We're trapped in this mess. It's like a nightmare.""Jay, no one expects you to save the world."

Jay looked at her with a hint of desperation in his eyes. "Y/n, I would do anything to protect you, literally anything."

Suddenly Y/n's eyes fell on an open drawer of the side table next to the sofa. There was a pistol inside. Her eyes widened. "Jay, why do you have a gun?"Jay lowered his gaze and answered quietly, "I've been getting them for the last few days. I wanted to make sure we could protect each other. Y/n, I just want you to be safe. You're the most important thing in my life, and I won't let anything happen to you." She gently placed her hand on his and said quietly, "We'll be careful." Jay nodded slowly.He knew he could trust Y/n, just like she trusted him.