The sequence

Chapter 5: The sequence

The days following this dinner were a storm in my mind. I could not get rid of the image of Brett, the way he had spoken, the intensity of his gaze, the insurance that emanated from each word. He was right on one point: he had opened a door in me, and he knew that I could not go back.

The next morning, I went to the bookstore as if nothing had happened. I tried to focus on my work, to forget this strange dinner, but everything seemed distorted. The eyes of the customers, the books that fell from their shelves, the doorbells of the door, everything reminded me of this meeting. I knew he was not ready to disappear in my life.

I had spent hours turning and turning around in my apartment, trying to understand what it all meant. Why had he told me about the future, my essential role? Was he a psychopath, a manipulator, or was he just a man who knew exactly what he wanted?

Basically, part of me knew that the answers were not so simple, and that made me even more nervous. Each detail of the dinner, each sentence exchanged, each gesture, seemed to have a deeper meaning, a meaning that I could not yet decipher. And the most disturbing in all of this was that a little voice in me told me that I was not as innocent as I had believed it. I was not just a spectator in this story, I was one of them, even if I had not yet understood it yet.

---

The next morning, when I put the books in a remote corner of the bookstore, I noticed an envelope carefully placed on the counter, right next to the box. It was a thick, cream -colored paper, sealed with a wax cachet. My heart will be cleared by seeing it. I knew who was the author before I even opened the envelope.

With awkward slowness, I broke the seal and took out the letter. The writing was elegant, unadorned, clear and clear.

"Hope,

I know you have any questions. I know that you do not yet understand why you are there, why you agreed to meet me. But know one thing: all of this is just a step. There are choices that we make, paths we take, and moments when we realize that everything leads us exactly where we must be. "

"I observed you, I saw your potential, your inner strength, even if you don't see it yet. But soon you will see it. Tonight, at eight o'clock, I'm waiting for you. Not at home, but in a special place. We will discuss your future."

Brett "

I let go of the letter as if she burned, my hands trembling slightly. Each word was like a cleaver, cutting all hope of respite. The mention of "your future" froze me. He knew that I had trouble understanding where all this was going, but he seemed so sure of himself, so unshakeable. And, despite everything, I knew that anyway, I would answer his call.

I couldn't steal myself. It was not only dinner, or even the attraction I felt for him. It was something much more powerful, something imperative, who told me that I had no more control. Adrenaline rose in me when I was preparing my mind to come to come.

---

When the hour arrived, I stood again in my apartment, dressed in a simple but elegant dress, the one I kept for special occasions. However, that evening, I did not feel like I was going out for a dinner. No, what I was going to live this evening would be different. I knew it. A strange tension reigned in the air, a certainty that I was going to take a step that I could not erase.

The place he told me was not a restaurant or a public place. It was an old building abandoned away from the city, a place that seemed to have been abandoned for years. But the door was ajar, like a silent invitation. I hesitated for a moment, wondering one last time if I had to go back. But once again, the voice in me blowed me that it was too late, that the path was already traced.

I entered.

The corridors were dark, only lit by dim lights that seemed to come from a distance. The silence was almost total, but there was something heavy in the air, as if every step that I made resonated in an absolute void.

Brett was waiting for me inside, an imposing silhouette in the dark. His gaze perceived me immediately, as if each movement I made was observed and understood. I stopped a few steps from him, hesitating once again. But, once again, something in me pushed me to move forward.

He approached, his step measured and safe. He left no room for doubt. He was there to take me elsewhere, in a world where I would have no choice but to follow.

- "You have finally arrived." His voice, calm and firm, resonated in the air. "You see, hope, there is no chance. You were intended to find me."

He marked a break, as if to let his words settle, before continuing:

- "What I'm going to offer you this evening is a chance. A chance to kiss your true potential, to accept what you really are."

I suddenly felt lost, vulnerable. But I couldn't look away from him. He had this ability to captivate my attention, to make me feel like he was the only one to have the answers to my questions.

-"So, what are you expecting from me?" I asked, my trembling voice in spite of myself.

Brett got closer, slowly, until you are a few centimeters from me. He stared at me, an indecipherable glow in his eyes.

- "I want to show you your real place in this world, Hope. And for that, you must first accept the truth."

And in the silence that followed, I knew, deep down, that the truth he evoked was going to upset everything I thought I knew.