BAD HEROINES

8. She Won't Hide

She moved cautiously down the narrow corridor, her footsteps nearly silent under the dim, flickering lights.

She passed door after door, the numbers blurring until she reached the one she sought—304.

Sliding the key card before entering. The door closed behind her with a quiet click, sealing her in the stillness of the room.

The moment she pocketed the card, her phone buzzed in her hand. She glanced down at the screen. An unknown number. Without a second thought, she tossed the phone onto the table, hoping to ignore whatever it was.

Ever since she survived the poison, she had lived on the edge, wary of every step she took. The how and why of it gnawed at her constantly. She hadn't found the culprit, didn't know how they slipped the poison into her life, or what twisted motive lay behind the attack.

But then the phone buzzed again. This time, a message.

'You won’t hide forever, Lin Lijun. They will know about you'

Lijun’s heart stuttered. Her fingers tightened around the phone