Tangled summer hearts

7. sneaking and stealing

Ryan's POV:

The clock struck midnight as we gathered in my room, the tension palpable. Tanya leaned casually against my desk, her confidence unshaken. Alex stood nearby, his demeanor reserved but focused.

“Alright, let’s go over the plan one more time,” Tanya said, her voice steady. “We get in, search the office, and get out before anyone notices. Simple.”

I glanced at Alex, who nodded. “We need to be careful. If anyone sees us, we’re done for.”

Tanya smirked. “That’s why we have you, Alex. You’re good at sneaking around.”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue. “Let’s just get this over with.”

We moved through the darkened house, our steps silent on the carpeted floors. When we reached the hallway leading to Mr. Archer’s office, I felt my heart pound in my chest. Tanya motioned for us to stop and listen. The house was silent except for the faint hum of the air conditioning.

“Alright, coast is clear,” she whispered, moving forward.

We slipped into the office, closing the door behind us. Alex and Tanya immediately went to work, searching through the desk drawers and filing cabinets. I focused on the shelves, scanning for anything that might give us a clue.

After a few minutes, Tanya found a small stack of letters tied with a faded ribbon. “Hey, look at this,” she said, passing them to me.

I untied the ribbon and glanced at the top letter. It was dated 28 years ago and signed by someone named Julie. “Who’s Julie?” I wondered aloud.

“No idea,” Tanya replied, “but these are old. Might be something important.”

As we continued searching, Alex found a small box hidden behind some books. He opened it and pulled out a stack of photographs. “Guys, you need to see this.”

We gathered around, and my stomach turned as I saw the pictures. They were of Anya, taken over several years, showing her at various events and places. “Why does he have these?” I asked, feeling a chill run down my spine.

“Looks like he’s been keeping tabs on her,” Alex said, his voice low.

Before we could delve deeper, we heard footsteps approaching. “Someone’s coming,” I hissed.

We quickly put everything back in place and hid. The door creaked open, and a flashlight beam swept across the room. I held my breath, praying we wouldn’t be discovered. The guard paused, then left, closing the door behind him.

“Close call,” Tanya whispered, her voice shaky for the first time that night.

Alex and I exchanged a look, then burst into quiet laughter. The adrenaline was making us giddy. “This is insane,” Alex said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, but we’re doing it,” I replied, feeling a strange camaraderie forming between us.

Tanya smirked, looking between us. “Alright, bromance moment over. Let’s get out of here.”

As we slipped back into the hallway, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of determination. We hadn’t found much, but we were onto something. And we wouldn’t stop until we uncovered the truth.

Tanya's POV:

The cool night air seeped through my open window as I paced my room. My mind was racing, replaying the plan over and over. Ryan and I had no choice but to go through with this engagement charade, but that didn't mean we were going to let Mr. Archer dictate our lives. He thought he held all the cards, but he had no idea what we were planning.