Chapter 4

Evelyn’s POV

“Evelyn?”

I blinked and looked up at Mrs. Lewis. She was still standing by the door waiting for my response.

Beside me, Amelia was watching carefully.

For a brief moment, I considered asking to see the detective immediately then I stopped myself.

No, that would be stupid. The old Evelyn would never be interested in a detective. The old Evelyn trusted the Dawsons completely and right now, I needed them to believe I was still that Evelyn.

I laughed lightly.

“If Uncle Robert has been handling it, then it’s probably nothing important.”

Relief flashed across Amelia’s face so quickly that she couldn’t hide it. It disappeared almost immediately, but I had already seen it.

Mrs. Lewis looked hesitant, “Are you sure, Miss Parker?”

I nodded, “Of course. Uncle Robert always takes care of these things.”

Amelia smiled, “Exactly. No need to bother our bride-to-be.”

I turned back toward my computer, “You can send him away.”

Mrs. Lewis looked uncertain but eventually nodded, “Alright.”

The moment she left, Amelia relaxed completely. I almost laughed. She really thought I was still stupid..

The rest of the afternoon passed discussing wedding plans, flowers, venues, and guest lists.

The entire conversation felt unbearable.

Every time Amelia smiled, I remembered her standing over my dying body. Every time she mentioned the wedding, I remembered the future she had planned for me.

A coffin instead of a marriage.

By the time I finally left the office, my patience was hanging by a thread.

Luckily, Amelia left shortly afterward.

The moment I arrived home, I headed straight for my room and locked the door, then I opened my laptop and the camera feeds immediately appeared.

I clicked on the one monitoring the Dawsons’ living room but there was nothing then movement appeared on one of the screens.

It was Amelia.

She hurried into the room, her parents were already waiting. The expression on her face instantly caught my attention.

She looked very nervous. .

“That damned detective showed up again today,” she said.

My entire body went still.

Robert Dawson’s expression darkened immediately, “What?”

“He went to the company asking for Evelyn.”

A curse escaped Robert’s lips. Across from him, Mrs. Dawson looked equally disturbed.

“Why won’t he just leave this alone?” she asked.

“Because people like him don’t know when to quit,” Robert snapped.

Amelia crossed her arms, “Thankfully Evelyn remains the clueless trusting fool she’s always been.”

My grip tightened around the laptop.

Robert let out a breath, “Good.”

Amelia nodded, “She told Mrs. Lewis to send him away.”

A smile appeared on Robert’s face, “Perfect.”

What exactly was this detective investigating?

Mrs. Dawson suddenly looked worried, “What if he doesn’t stop?”

Robert’s expression hardened, “He will.”

The certainty in his voice made a chill run down my spine.

“What do you mean?” Amelia asked.

Robert leaned back in his chair, “If he becomes a problem, I’ll take care of him.”

Silence filled the room then Amelia changed the subject.

“By the way, Evelyn was at the office today.”

Robert frowned, “The office?”

“Yes,” Amelia nodded, “She spent hours there.”

A strange look crossed Robert’s face, “Did she say why?”

“Wedding planning.”

Robert relaxed, “Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Amelia hesitated, “I don’t know.”

For the first time, uncertainty appeared on her face.

“She’s been acting a little different lately.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Robert immediately shook his head, “You’re imagining things.”

“Maybe,” Amelia didn’t sound convinced but eventually she nodded, “Maybe it’s nothing.”

The conversation moved on and I stopped listening. My mind remained focused on something else entirely.

The detective. Whatever he knew had the Dawsons terrified and that made him valuable.

The moment the meeting ended, I grabbed my phone and called Mrs. Lewis.

She answered immediately.

“Miss Parker?”

“I need a favor.”

“Of course.”

“The detective.”

“What about him?”

“I want his phone number.”

Mrs. Lewis sounded confused, “I thought you said—”

“I changed my mind.”

“Should I inform Mr. Dawson?”

“No,” my tone sharpened, “Nobody is to know.”

Mrs. Lewis immediately understood, “I’ll send it right away.”

Five minutes later, the number arrived. I stared at it for several seconds before dialing. The call connected on the third ring.

“Hello?” The voice sounded older than I expected.

“Is this Detective Harris?”

“Yes.”

“This is Evelyn Parker.”

“Finally,” the detective exhaled slowly.

I glanced toward my bedroom door making sure it was still locked.

“I don’t have much time,” I said.

“Neither do I.”

I sat down on the edge of the bed, “Listen carefully. The people you’ve been investigating know you’re still looking into them. They consider you a problem.”

“I figured as much.”

“No,” I shook my head despite him being unable to see me, “You don’t understand.”

I thought about Robert’s words and a chill ran through me.

“Your life is in danger. I’m arranging somewhere safe for you to stay before we meet,” I said.

The detective was silent for a moment then he sighed.

“Miss Parker, I don’t think I’m the one in danger.”

My grip tightened around the phone, “What do you mean?”

“I mean that someone has been trying to kill you for the last ten years.”

My heartbeat stopped.

The detective’s voice turned grim.

“Or don’t you know that you were supposed to be in the car with your parents the day they died?”