I didn't choose her, my heart did

The tension

Keira's POV:

Lucy's face was tight with tension as she put down her phone. I felt my heart pounding in my chest, the sound of the caller's menacing words resonating in my head. 'Who was it?' I asked softly, my voice trembling despite my attempt to remain calm.

Lucy shook her head, as if trying to get rid of the echo of that voice. 'No idea,' she muttered. 'But this goes beyond a photograph. They know things, Keira. Things about us.'

My stomach turned. That one word - 'know' - felt heavier than anything I had ever felt. The photo was already a disaster, but this... this was something much bigger. I tried to catch her gaze, but she had already walked to the car, her back tensed.

_

The drive home was stiflingly quiet. No music, no words. Just the sounds of the road and the squeak of my nails tapping against my phone case. I wanted to say something, do something, but I didn't know what.

When Lucy finally parked the flat, she slowly turned to me. Her eyes were filled with determination, but I could see the doubt behind them. 'Keira,' she began, 'I think someone is following us. That someone is trying to break us on purpose.'

I swallowed. 'You mean... that photo. And that caller?'

She nodded. 'It can't be a coincidence. That photo is from weeks ago, Keira. And the caller...' She rubbed her face. 'He sounded like he already knew everything. And he had power. He enjoyed scaring us.'

My breath stopped. 'But who would want to do this? Why?'

Lucy took a deep breath and looked at me, her gaze soft for a moment. 'That's what we have to find out. But we'll do it together, okay? No matter what.'

I nodded, though it felt like the ground was starting to slide beneath us.

_

We had barely taken off our coats when Lucy's phone rang again. The same unknown number. Her gaze met mine, and I saw a flash of fear before she answered.

'Hello?' she said briefly.

I couldn't hear the voice on the other end, but I saw how Lucy's jaw tightened, her eyes squeezed together. She started pacing around the living room.

'What do you want?' she asked sharply. A long silence fell. Her gaze slid to me, as if unsure what to say. 'That's nonsense. We won't be manipulated.'

She angrily pushed the phone away and threw it on the sofa. 'They want money,' she said bitterly. 'They are threatening to publish more pictures if we don't pay.'

My breath stopped. 'How much are they asking for?'

Lucy turned to me, her gaze dark. 'It's not about the amount, Keira. It's about the fact that they will never stop this, even if we pay. This is their game. They want to break us.'

I felt my throat clench. 'But if they release those photos... Lucy, we can't risk that. It would destroy everything.'

Her gaze softened. She walked over to me and grabbed my hands. 'We won't let them win. Do you understand? Whatever happens, we will stay together.'

_

The next morning, we decided to take action. We told Sarina everything - the phone calls, the threats, the request for money. She was shocked, but promised to support us. 'I'm going to raise this,' she said, calling in a private security consultant.

Meanwhile, Lucy and I tried to regain our focus on training. But it was impossible. I felt the eyes of my teammates burning on us, as if they all knew what was going on. Lucy seemed unfazed, but I could see how tense her shoulders were.

During a pause, Leah walked up to me. 'Kei, are you okay?' she asked softly. Her eyes were filled with concern.

I wanted to tell her everything, but I knew I couldn't. 'Yeah,' I lied. 'Just a bit tired.'

She didn't quite seem to believe me, but nodded and let it rest.

_

At home, everything felt... different. Lucy and I seemed further apart than ever, despite being in the same room together. We didn't talk much, but tension hung in the air.

One evening, as we sat together on the sofa, I suddenly burst. 'Lucy, what if this never ends? What if they always stay one step ahead?'

She looked at me, her gaze filled with pain. 'You think I don't think about that, Keira? But we can't keep giving in. If we do, they win.'

'But are we winning now?' I asked bitterly. 'It feels like we're already losing everything.'Lucy stood up, her gaze flaming. 'If you really think that, Keira, then you are giving them exactly what they want. Is that what you want?'

I looked at her, stiffened. This was not Lucy. Not my Lucy. 'I just want this to stop,' I whispered.

She sighed, her gaze softer. 'I want that too. But we have to stay strong. For us.'

_

That night, while Lucy slept, I stayed awake. My phone vibrated on the bedside table, and with trembling hands I picked it up. It was an e-mail from an unknown address.

'This is your last chance,' it said in big letters. It included a file. I opened it, my heart pounding in my chest. It was a video.

My breath stopped as I played it. It was a recording of Lucy and me, together in her flat. The moment when we kissed each other for the first time, caught on camera. I felt my stomach turn. This was private. This was passionate. This was us. How could they have this?

I heard Lucy moving next to me and quickly switched off my phone. I couldn't share this with her. Not now.

_

The next morning, I felt numb with fear. As Lucy got ready for training, I sat on the edge of the bed, my head full of questions. Who could have done this? How could they have gained access to such intimate moments?

Lucy turned to me. 'Kei, everything okay?'

I opened my mouth to say something, but at that moment my phone vibrated again. A new email, the same sender. Lucy looked at me, her gaze inquisitive. 'Who's that?'

I gulped. 'Nobody important,' I lied, putting my phone in my pocket.

But the truth was that I knew what I had to do. I had to solve this alone. Lucy was not to suffer any more from this.

When I went to training, I felt a strange kind of calmness. But deep down, I knew I was crossing a line I might never be able to turn back.

And when my phone vibrated again with another threatening email, I knew the end was far from imminent.

AN: Keira tries to manage the situation on her own, which further tests their relationship. But what if the secret caller is closer than she thinks? Who has access to their most intimate moments? And how far will Keira go to protect Lucy? The puzzle pieces seem to be falling into place... but what danger awaits?