Chapter 19- Veins of the past

The pale morning light filtered through the blinds of Lily's apartment, casting soft golden lines across the wooden floor. She stirred from her light sleep, eyes fluttering open as the weight of her dreams dissolved into waking reality. The events of the past week lay heavy on her chest—the miscarriage, the return to William's company, the mystery surrounding Selena, and the strange reemergence of her past. It was overwhelming, yet somehow, it fueled her.

Her fingers brushed over the edge of Selena's diary, still lying open on the desk. The last entry she'd read the night before echoed in her mind:

"J is not like the others."

Lily frowned. Selena's entries had been innocent, warm, brimming with a naive affection. They didn’t match the fate she'd met. And although Lily tried not to obsess, something about those entries gripped her in a way she couldn't ignore.

She got up, showered, dressed in a soft cream blouse and slate-gray slacks, and tied her hair back. Her reflection stared at her with subtle defiance. This Lily was stronger, scarred but determined.

**William's Office - Later that Morning**

"You're late," William said as Lily entered the sleek conference room.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Three minutes. You going to fire me again for that?"

"Tempting," he muttered, clicking the remote to switch the slide.

They were preparing for the quarterly strategy meeting. The board expected projections, market expansions, and new digital product strategies. William, ever the perfectionist, demanded sharp answers and sharper execution.

But as the presentation moved forward, William noticed something odd about Lily. She was present but distracted. Her fingers tapped lightly against the table. Her brows furrowed in thought. Her notes were half-written.

When the meeting ended, he motioned her to stay behind.

"You're losing focus," he said once the room emptied.

"No, I'm just thinking."

"Thinking doesn’t pay bills, Lily."

She crossed her arms. "And firing people doesn’t bring peace. Yet here we are."

His jaw clenched. But then, he surprised her.

"Tell me what’s on your mind."

She looked away. "Selena."

A beat passed.

William's face remained unreadable.

"Still dwelling there?"

"She was your sister. And she was my friend. You never talk about her. Not once."

He exhaled through his nose and leaned against the table. "Because it doesn't bring her back."

Lily hesitated. "She mentioned someone in her diary. Someone with the initial J."

His eyes flickered. Just briefly. But she caught it.

"Do you know who it was?"

William straightened up. "That diary shouldn't concern you."

"Maybe not. But I still think about her."

"Then think quietly," he snapped, walking past her.

Lily turned after him, a bitter taste in her mouth. But she saw it now—the defensive wall he had built around Selena's name. And it only made her more curious.

**At the Café, Same Afternoon**

The café was dimly lit, soft jazz humming in the background. Nany sat at a corner table, typing something rapidly into her laptop. She was working on her peace project, lost in her world, when a familiar voice caught her ear.

"Big meeting, or just ruling the world?"

Nany looked up to see Justin, dressed impeccably, a charming smile playing on his lips.

She smiled faintly. "You tell me. Looks like your deal went well."

"It did," he said, pulling out the chair opposite hers. "Mind if I?"

She gestured for him to sit. Their conversation was brief, light. There was a calm ease between them, like strangers connected by a thin string of fate. He complimented her project, admired her passion. She noted the seriousness in his eyes, the depth that lurked behind his calm words.

He left after ten minutes, but something lingered between them—an unspoken connection.

**Later That Day – William’s Private Office**

William stood staring out the floor-to-ceiling window, his thoughts restless. Selena. Her name stirred old wounds. Wounds he'd never spoken about.

The night she died was etched into his memory. Her empty room. The call from the police. The unanswered questions. And the diary he had locked away in his drawer for years—until Lily found it.

He didn’t want her involved.

But she was. And she was relentless.

He picked up his phone.

"Make sure Lily doesn't access the personal archive folder again," he instructed his IT head.

**The Next Morning – Lily’s Apartment**

Lily woke to a message from Nany: "Let’s go to the library. I found something."

They met at the downtown public archive section, where Nany pulled out a thin stack of local newspapers.

"Look at this," she said, pointing to an article.

Lily leaned closer. "Young Woman Dies in Suspicious Fall, Brother Demands Further Investigation."

Her heart skipped.

"This is about Selena," Nany whispered. "William pushed the case. But it was closed without conclusion."

"And the place of the incident... it says 'Riverview Park Cliff Edge.'"

Lily's breath caught. "That’s where Justin has that holiday house."

Nany blinked. "You sure?"

"I’ve been there. Once. When we almost worked together."

They both exchanged a look.

Suddenly, the "J" in Selena's diary didn’t feel so abstract.

"Do you know who J is?" Nany asked quietly.

Lily gave a heavy nod. "Yes. It was Justin. They were together. She loved him, and he loved her. At least that’s what I knew. But… maybe fate had other plans."

**Nightfall – William's Mansion**

William stood in the hallway, staring at Selena’s portrait. He still remembered the day it was painted. Her laughter. The way she teased him endlessly.

He heard the door open.

Lily entered slowly, her eyes meeting his.

"I went to see Justin," she said.

His posture stiffened. "Why?"

"Because I think he knows more about Selena than he’s saying."

William walked past her without speaking. But as he reached the stairs, he paused.

"Do not get involved in this, Lily."

She stepped toward him. "I already am."

His eyes met hers. Tired. Guarded.

"This is not your war."

"She was my friend."

He didn’t reply. He turned away.

But in that moment, something shifted. The air between them no longer crackled with disdain, but with unspoken truths.

As she left, William whispered to himself,

"Some ghosts don’t stay buried."