ログインMara's PovNothing happened.I pressed myself into the narrow space of the wall, my heart thumping so loudly I was sure they could hear it. I heard Margret footsteps retrieving inside, and after awhile, she came out.“I’m leaving." She said.I held my breath until I heard the front door heavy-thud shut and the sound of her engine fading down the street. I stepped out from the shadows, my legs shaking."You have to go, Mara," Claudia whispered immediately, her eyes wide with terror. "If she finds you here, she will definitely hurt you. Please, just leave."I quickly grabbed a scrap of paper and scribbled my number on it, shoving it into her hand. "I’m expecting your call, Ma'am. Margaret has to be stopped. More people are going to die if we don’t do this. You know it’s the right thing. You’ve been waiting for a reason to end this, haven’t you?"Claudia looked at the paper, then at me. For a second, I saw a flash of the woman she used to be—someone who cared about justice. She didn't sa
Mara's PovThe sun decided it was the right day to punish me. It was a physical weight on my shoulders, pressing down with a dry heat that made the pavement shimmer. I sat on the edge of the curb, in front of the house, my shadow shrinking as the hours ticked by. This was the third day. The neighbors had stopped staring; now, I was just part of the landscape, a girl in a long coat who refused to give up.My skin felt tight, and my throat was like sandpaper, but I didn't budge. I couldn't. This house—this silent, peeling house—held the only bridge back to the truth. Just as I was beginning to feel lightheaded, the heavy thud of a bolt sliding back echoed through the quiet street. I scrambled to my feet, my joints stiff and aching. The door creaked open just a few inches, and Claudia’s weary face appeared in the gap. She looked at me, then at the empty street, her brow furrowed in a mix of irritation and pity."You really don't give up, do you?" she sighed, her voice thin.I stepped fo
Mara’s PovI pressed my back against the cold brick wall, my heart hammering against my ribs. I held my breath, watching through the gap in the alley as Elias stood in the middle of the street. He looked exhausted. His tie was loose, his hair was a mess, and even from here, I could see the slight stagger in his step.My hand moved toward the edge of the wall. I wanted to call out his name. I wanted to run to him, throw my arms around his neck, and tell him I was okay, and how much I missed him. When I saw him grab that stranger’s shoulder, thinking it was me, a sob nearly escaped my throat.But I couldn't. Not yet. If I went to him now, It'd only be a distraction for me. I had to stay dead until I could prove Margret was the one who pulled the trigger.I watched him climb back into his car and drive away, his taillights fading into the darkness. Only then did I let out the breath I’d been holding. I missed him so much it felt like a physical ache in my chest. Now that Vivian had texte
Elias PovThe air in the doctor’s office was thick with the scent of old paper and stale coffee. I sat across from the doctor, my hands onthe two arm rest of my chair, my leg crossed, waiting. When the door finally opened, Detective Miller stepped inside.He didn't waste time. After a brief nod to both of us, he pulled up a chair and sat down. "You said it was urgent, Mr. Lawson. What have you got?"I looked at him, my voice steady despite the storm raging in my chest. "There is someone you’ll be arresting soon. This person has killed many innocent people. She’s attempted murder on my sister, and she’s a threat to everyone I care about."The detective raised an eyebrow, pulling out a notepad. "Who are we talking about?""Margaret," I said, the name feeling like poison in my mouth. "Our head maid."Miller paused, his pen hovering over the paper. "A maid? You're telling me a maid is responsible for the string of deaths surrounding your family?""She isn't just a maid," I snapped at him
Margret's PovIt was evening already.The door clicked shut behind Elias and the doctor. I watched the shadow of their feet disappear from under the door frame. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor.Aunt Claudia was still sitting there, beside me, making sure I'm okay. She didn't need to leave."I wish I could have brought you some soup, Margaret," she said softly, her voice dropped with care. "But the doctor said you aren't due to eat yet. Not until your stomach settles.""I'm not hungry, Auntie," I replied, my voice flat. I didn't need food. I needed information. "I'm good.""Elias is a good man," She said, looking at the door. "He called me here himself. He made sure you were in the best hands. He even— "I brushed it off with a wave of my hand, the movement sending a dull ache through my side. "He’s doing what he has to do."Claudia leaned forward. She reached out, touching my forehead before taking my hand in hers. She looked
Margret's PovI opened my eyes to a ceiling that was far too white and lights that stung like needles. The air was thick with the smell of antiseptic. I tried to shift my weight, but a flare of pain ripped through my midsection, forcing a gasp out of me."Careful now," a nurse said, appearing at my bedside. She was busy checking a monitor, her face a mask of professional boredom. "That’s a deep wound. Don't try to sit up. I’ll go tell the doctor you’re finally with us."She vanished before I could ask a single question. I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my breath coming in shallow hitches. The pain in my tummy was a dull, throbbing roar, but my mind was moving fast. Elias. He actually did it. He brought me here.A slow, cold heat spread through my chest. If I was here, Andrea had to be here too. I needed to find her. That girl was a loose end, a ticking time bomb that could ruin everything I’d built. I had to get to her first. I had to make sure she never spoke again.The thought
Elias POVBy the time I was done with Amira, I was alone in the quiet room, the hum of the air-conditioning the only sound. My eyes lit up the moment the door opened and she stepped inside.“Mr. Lawson,” she greeted, bowing slightly as she sat opposite me. “I didn’t expect your invitation.”Richard
Mara's POVI wasn’t expecting to see him in my office.The door had barely closed behind me before my gaze locked on the tall figure standing near my desk, his back half-turned, one hand braced against the glass wall as though he’d been pacing.For a second, I simply stood there.“What are you doin
Elias POVThirty minutes had passed since Mara excused herself.Amira’s laughter drifted toward me, light and careless, but it barely registered. I checked my watch, again. And again. Nothing. Mara hadn’t returned.A tight knot formed in my chest.Amira leaned closer, her perfume sharp, cloying. “
Elias POV“You should have gone home.”The words came out harsher than I intended, sharp, edged with a raw worry I refused to show on the surface.It was late. Too late for her to still be here.I had assumed she was home after noticing her absence from the family dinner. Margaret confirmed she had







