Chapter 4

 Chapter 4

“What do you mean by that?” Arden asked, her breath catching in her throat.

“I'm so sorry I wasn't able to do anything to save you,” Kate continued, her voice breaking into soft sobs over the line.

“Kate, tell me everything you know,” Arden pleaded, her hand shaking as she clutched the phone.

“Don't you remember anything at all?” Kate asked, sounding bewildered.

“I don't know what to do, Kate. I can't believe everything that happened was real... I'm so confused,” Arden replied, hot tears brimming in her eyes threatening to fall.

“I will tell you everything when we meet, but you must listen to me: Luke and Stephanie are not to be trusted. They are planning to kill you.”

“How... how could you possibly know this?” Arden asked.

“I can't explain it all over the phone. You just have to believe me and come straight to my place,” Kate urged.

Suddenly, the bedroom door creaked open.

“Babe, breakfast is ready,” Luke called out smoothly.

Arden spun around, her heart hammering against her ribs.

“Be careful, Arden. You must never let them know you've already found out about their plan,” Kate whispered urgently.

“Babe, are you alright?” Luke asked, walking over as he spotted the toothbrush lying on the floor and bent to pick it up.

“Arden, can you hear me?” Kate's voice called out from the other end.

“Yes, I'm fine,” Arden replied, flashing Luke a half smile. “Okay, Kate, I'll be sure to send your regards to my husband.”

“I'll talk to you later, bye—” Arden said and quickly tapped the screen to end the call before any more details could slip.

“Give me that,” Arden said quickly, taking the toothbrush from Luke's hand with a forced laugh. “I'll finish getting ready and join you downstairs.”

She turned on her heel and hurried back into the bathroom, slamming the door shut to catch her breath.

Within an hour, they were fully dressed and ready to head out. Just as they gathered their things, the doorbell chimed, and the steward opened the front door to reveal Stephanie stepping inside.

“Hey, sis!” Stephanie chirped brightly, walking right over to give Arden a hug before dropping a hand to gently pat her stomach. “And hey to my favorite in-law,” she added, leaning in to embrace Luke as well.

Arden's hands curled into tight fists at her sides. A cold wave of deja vu washed over her. She remembered this exact moment from her past life—she had thought Stephanie's unannounced morning visit to check on them before the wedding dress fitting was just a sweet coincidence but now she's beginning to question that too.

“What are you doing here so early?” Arden asked, keeping her tone meticulously even.

“I happened to be around the neighborhood, so I thought I'd drop by and say hello,” Stephanie replied smoothly.

“Oh, perfect timing. We were just about to go pick up Arden's wedding dress,” Luke chimed in.

“Wait, you haven't picked it up yet?” Stephanie asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I decided to change the style,” Arden said, watching Stephanie's expression closely.

“Why would you do that? The original style was stunning,” Stephanie pressed, worry visible on her face.

“I had to, because of the baby. I need something much more comfortable,” Arden replied.

At the mention of the baby, Stephanie's hands violently curled into tight balls before she quickly forced them open again. It happened in a fraction of a second, but Arden caught every bit of it.

“Well, I'd love to tag along on this trip,” Stephanie recovered with a sweet smile. “You know I want to make sure the style is absolute perfection for you.”

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Luke agreed easily.

“Actually, that would be a great idea,” Arden suggested with a calculated gleam in her eye. “Since Stephanie is already here, she can go with you to pick up the dress while I head to the hospital instead.”

Luke paused, looking at her with sudden concern. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No, I just want to go for a quick routine checkup,” Arden lied effortlessly.

“What about the dress fitting?” Stephanie protested, narrowing her eyes.

“We're practically the exact same size, Steph. Can't you just try it on for me to check the fit?” Arden asked, putting on a convincing, pleading look. “Please?”

Stephanie rolled her eyes dramatically. “Fine.”

Minutes later, they pulled up to the hospital entrance.

“Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?” Luke asked immediately, leaning across the console.

“Yes, it's just a routine checkup. I might even meet up with you guys once I'm done,” Arden replied, offering a reassuring smile.

“You really don't have to stress yourself, Arden. I'll handle everything with the dress—just focus on being fine with the baby,” Stephanie cut in smoothly from the back seat.

“Thank you,” Arden said quietly.

Luke leaned over, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. “Don't forget to call me when you're done.”

Arden nodded, stepping out onto the curb and watching their car pull away into the traffic.

As soon as they turned the corner, Stephanie turned to Luke with a triumphant smirk. “You are such a good actor.”

“I learned from the best, I suppose,” Luke replied, chuckling softly.

“I've missed you so much babe.”

“Not as much as I've missed you.”

“Coming from the man who got another woman pregnant,” Stephanie teased, raising an eyebrow.

“Come on, it was a mistake,” Luke muttered, hitting the turn signal. He swerved the car off the main road and parked discretely by the side of a quiet, tree-lined side street. “How about I show you just how much I've missed you?”

Stephanie bit her lower lip, a dark smile tugging at her mouth. “We still have enough time before the boutique appointment, don't we?”

“More than enough,” Luke murmured, pulling her across the console into the front seat as their lips crashed together in a heated, breathless kiss.

Back at the hospital, the moment Arden saw Luke's car disappear from view, she turned around, flagged down a passing taxi, and gave the driver Kate's address.

Once inside Kate's secure apartment, Kate pulled her into a tight, fierce embrace. After holding her close for a long moment, Kate hurried into the kitchen to pour a warm cup of coffee and hand it to her.

“Thank you,” Arden whispered, sinking onto the sofa while Kate sat down right beside her.

“Now,” Arden said, her eyes wide with urgency. “Tell me everything that happened.”

FLASHBACK

The moment the line went dead, panic seized Kate.

"What do I do? What do I do?" Kate muttered, pacing frantically across her living room floor.

“The police! Yes, I need to call the police right now,” she gasped, snatching up her phone and dialing the local emergency line.

“A lady needs help—urgently—at the Moonstone Hotel,” Kate blurted out the second the dispatcher picked up.

“Ma'am, based on your current location, you are miles away from the Moonstone Hotel. How could you possibly know this?” a calm, professional voice responded.

“I was on the phone with her, and... and she started bleeding, and they aren't helping her!” Kate cried, her voice trembling violently.

“They? Who are they, if I may ask?”

“Her husband and her stepsister! They want to kill her—if you don't get officers down there right now, she's going to die. You have to help her!” Kate pleaded.

“Ma'am, my team and I will do everything in our power to help your friend, but you need to give us all the details you have. Can you come down to the station for formal questioning?”

“Yes, I'll come! But please, just send some of your men to the location right now!” Kate cried, her eyes darting to the wall clock. It was already past midnight.

“Can you text me the exact details of these individuals? Since the Moonstone Hotel isn't in our immediate jurisdiction, we'll need to transfer the case to the neighboring precinct for rapid deployment,” the dispatcher instructed, the rhythmic clicking of a keyboard echoing through the receiver.

“Okay, I'll send it right away. I'm already on my way there myself,” Kate replied, breathing a frantic prayer.

As soon as she hung up, Kate grabbed her car keys, bolted out the front door, and tore out of her driveway.

“I've given the police all the information they need, but the fastest way to save her is to get to Moonstone myself,” Kate thought desperately, slamming her foot down on the gas and speeding toward the highway.