ANMELDEN035“Hello?” Andrea’s voice came low through the phone.He stood by the window, one hand tucked into his pocket, the other gripping his phone. The city lights outside reflected faintly in his eyes, but there was nothing soft about his expression.“…you’re absolutely sure?” Andrea asked at last, his tone dropping even further.“Yes, boss. I double-checked everything. The records, the timeline… even the witness statements. It all points back to one person.”“Who?” Andrea asked.“Vanessa.” came the voice at the other end.Andrea’s fingers curled slightly around the phone.“Don’t guess,” he said, his voice suddenly hard. “I need facts.”“I’m not guessing,” the caller replied firmly. “Vanessa is a prime suspect. Everything points back to her.” the voice continued. “There are inconsistencies in her alibi, and someone placed her near the location that night. It doesn’t look like a coincidence.”“…I see,” he murmured.He turned slowly from the window, his reflection disappearing from the gl
034Isabella’s fingers twitched first, It was faint, so faint it could have been mistaken for nothing. But then it happened again.Beside her, Ethan slept in an awkward position, his head resting on the edge of the bed, one arm folded beneath him. Isabella’s eyelids fluttered open, and the lights above her stung, everything was blurry at first, but then her gaze drifted slowly until it landed on the figure beside her.For a moment, she simply stared at him in a confused state.Her hand moved again, until her fingers reached his hair, and she touched it gently, this simple act made Ethan to stir.At first, it was just a slight shift. Then his brows furrowed, and his eyes blinked open lazily, only to see Isabella wide awake staring at him, his gaze locked onto hers for a few seconds.“...Isabella?” He called in a rough voice.Ethan shot up so quickly the chair behind him scraped loudly against the floor.“You’re awake…” he breathed,as his eyes scanned her face as if he was afraid she w
033Vanessa didn't fight back as she kissed him back passionately, the two devouring each other's lips hungrily. After a while, Andrea pulled out to catch his breath.“This is what you've always wanted, right?” he barked all of a sudden, scaring Vanessa in the process.“Now listen to me, Vanessa, and listen good. You stole your way into my life and made me lose the most important person in my life. You made me lose Isabella, and now you're trying to steal your way into my life again, huh?” he yelled.“Andrea, what… what are you saying?” Vanessa managed to ask but was cut short.“Shut the fuck up!” Andrea screamed, making Vanessa flinch in fear.“No matter what you do, you can never have me,” he said.“I wonder why I didn't know how evil you are on time. And listen, I know Isabella didn't die a natural death, and I am still doing my findings, and trust me, if I find out that you have a hand in her death,” he said with a smile.“Then be ready to spend the rest of your life in prison,” h
032Isabella lay on a hospital bed. She looked pale yet peaceful. Machines beeped steadily around her. She had just gone through her surgical operation and had gone into a coma, as pronounced by the doctor.At the far end of the ward was an incubator, with Isabella’s premature baby lying inside. Ethan sat beside her. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his gaze fixed on her face as if he was trying to memorize every detail about her.For a long moment, he said nothing, but then he exhaled quietly.“You look so innocent when you sleep,” he murmured.“But you’re a lioness when awake,” he said, glancing briefly at the machines, then back at her.A faint, almost humorless smile touched his lips before he spoke again.“You caused quite a storm.”“Your brother hasn’t slept properly since we got here,” he added.His fingers tapped lightly against his knee before he reached out, gently adjusting the edge of her blanket.The door opened softly behind him. Ethan looked up to see
031It was past midnight. Vanessa woke up from a very terrible dream. In her dream, she saw the ghost of Issabella chasing her with a knife; she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.“Just another bad dream,” Vanessa thought upon waking up.She looked around the unfamiliar room and wanted to scream, but then she remembered that Andrea’s mom had actually allowed her to pass the night there. With one hand, she dabbed the sweat which didn’t seem to be leaving her face. She looked around the room once more and stood up.She walked towards the door and shut it behind her, leaving her room. She was heading to the kitchen to get water. She turned on the kitchen light and saw a masculine figure sitting on one of the chairs.“Andrea?” she called, trying to be sure.Andrea turned towards her, his gaze cold and sharp. He looked like someone who had been drinking. Vanessa walked closer.“What are you doing here at this time of the night?”“Stay away from me. It’s none of your business,” Andrea
030Andrea stood near the bed while the doctor finished examining his mother. She was already asleep, her breathing finally calm after the panic attack that had nearly terrified everyone in the house.Thank goodness his father and grandfather were not at home to witness the scene, they would have dealt brutally with Andrea.The doctor gently adjusted the blanket over her and stepped away from the bed.“She had a panic attack,” he said quietly. “Her heart rate spiked due to emotional stress.”Andrea ran a hand through his hair feeling exhausted.“Will she be alright?” he asked, concern laced in his voice.The doctor nodded.“She will, but she must avoid stress. No emotional shock, no arguments, nothing that could upset her. She needs rest.”Andrea glanced at his sleeping mother and felt a cold sense of guilt.“Thank you, doctor.” he eventually said.The doctor packed his stethoscope into his bag, and quietly walked out of the room, Andrea followed him outside leaving only Vanessa and h







