Chapter 26 Twenty Six
Mira didn’t move from where she stood.
Her eyes stayed on the screen.
Reading the message again.
And again.
Like the words might change if she stared long enough.
They didn’t.
Her grip tightened slightly around the phone.
A slow, uneasy feeling crept up her spine.
Then— Her head lifted.
Quick.
Her eyes scanned the hallway. Left and right and it was empty.
The lights flickered softly above, casting shadows that shifted just enough to make everything feel… like someone was watching her.
“…Hello?” she called out lightly.
Nothing.
No answer came.
Mira’s jaw tightened.
“How the hell did whoever this person is get my number…” she murmured under her breath.
Because that was the problem.
Not just the message.
The access.
It had to be Someone in this house.. Or someone watching this house… had reached her directly.
Her stomach twisted slightly.
“…Or someone could be messing with me,” she added quietly.
A trap.
Everything about this place screamed trap.
But still… The West Wing.
The same place Lena warned her about.
The same place where those men lowered their voices.
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a second… as she might reply.
She didn’t.
Instead, she locked the phone slowly.
Her eyes were drifting one last time down the empty hallway.
Then she turned and opened the door to her room and walked inside.
Her eyes were instinctively scanning everything again.
The bed. The corners. The floor.
She didn't want any surprises this time. She checked for sign anyone had been there. Didn't find any.
She shut the door behind her and locked it.
Then walked over to the bed and sat down slowly.
The mattress dipped under her weight.
Her phone was still in her hand.
She looked at it again.
Unlocked it.
The message stared back at her like it had been waiting.
West Wing. 7 p.m.
Her brows pulled together.
“…Of course it’s the west wing,” she muttered.”That part of the mansion was heavily guarded during the day.. “
Her thumb tapped lightly against the side of the phone.
Thinking.
Anna.
She should tell Anna.
That was the smart move.
The safe move.
Report it.
Let someone else know what's going on
Mira exhaled slowly.
“…Yeah,” she whispered.” I should probably let her know.”
But she didn’t dial.
Didn’t move.
Because something else sat heavier in her chest.
If she told Anna now… Anna wouldn't allow her to push through with it.
And whatever this was— It would disappear and she would miss out on the information she could get.
Her eyes dropped back to the message.
“…I check it out first,” she said quietly.
Just to see. Just to confirm if it was real.
Then tell Anna. That made more sense.
Right?
Mira leaned back slightly on the bed.
Her gaze was still locked on the screen.
Her mind is running through every possible outcome.
Trap.
Setup.
Or— The first real lead she had since stepping into this place.
A long silence filled the room.
Minutes passed.
Five… maybe more.
Mira didn’t move she just sat there.
Thinking. Weighing it.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
“…Tomorrow,” she said finally. Her voice low
“Tomorrow, I find out.”
She locked her phone again.
Dropped it beside her.
But even as she leaned back against the headboard…Even as she closed her eyes for just a second— That message stayed there. Burning at the back of her mind.
Mira stayed on the bed longer than she meant to.
Five minutes blurred into ten.
Ten into something heavier, slower… like time had started dragging just to irritate her.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the ceiling.
But her mind wasn’t there. It kept circling back.
She could shake the feeling that the timing was a bit too suspicious. Did the person know who she was and her mission with the mansion
“…You’re either stupid to check this out,” she muttered quietly, “or you really want to get yourself killed Mira.”
Neither option made her feel better.
She pushed herself up slowly.
The room was still dark except for the faint glow slipping through the curtains.
Her fingers curled slightly.
“…Okay,” she whispered. “Plan first. Panic later.”
That was her rule.
Even if panic was already sitting comfortably in her chest. She stood up and started pacing slowly.
If this was a trap, she had to find a way to protect herself.
If it wasn’t… then it meant someone inside this house was actively helping her.
She didn't know if it was a good thing.
Because that meant they were close enough to watch her.
Close enough to touch her room.
Close enough to leave things on her bed again.
Mira stopped pacing.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
“…Nah, that's just me guessing,” she said under her breath.
She walked to the door and checked the lock again.
Then the window. Then the corners.
As if repetition would make her feel safer.
It didn’t.
Still… she forced herself to breathe.
“Tomorrow… tomorrow I'll figure it out.”
Morning came too fast.
Or maybe she just didn’t sleep properly.
Either way, Mira woke up with that same tight feeling in her chest.
She got ready without thinking too much.
Simple clothes. Comfortable. Easy to move in and was ready for the day.
Breakfast didn’t help. Neither did the silence in the kitchen.
She couldn't tell if she was being overly sensitive but she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.. And it had nothing to do with the surveillance cameras..
Lena wasn’t there this time.
It was just her and a few guards walking around.
“…Great,” she muttered. “Let's get this day over already.”
She quietly had her simple salad bowl for breakfast. While she watched the time.
Because right now the clock mattered.
Every minute felt like it was counting really slowly.
By afternoon, she was already restless.
She checked her phone too many times.
Unlocked it. Locked it.
Read the message again.
Her jaw tightened.
“…one more hour to go” she said softly.