Chapter 539

The man flinched at my words, a flicker of panic flashing through his eyes before quickly forcing himself to appear calm. "Joshua, don't tell me you've forgotten me. It's me, Matt! We were deskmates in middle school." As he spoke, the man quickened his pace toward me, deliberately softening his tone, trying to make me lower my guard. "Joshua, it's been over ten years since we last saw each other, right? Where are you working now?" His voice was low and raspy, carrying an undercurrent of something unsettling. My frown deepened as I instinctively stepped back, my tone turning icy. "I don't know you. My deskmate in middle school was Joel Wells. Why are you pretending to be my friend?" The underground parking garage was eerily silent at this hour. The only sounds audible were the two of us speaking and the distant howling of the wind. An unease settled in my gut, but I forced myself to stay calm. I kept a safe distance while carefully observing his expression and movements, searching