All Chapters of Never Meant to be Seen : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

I couldn't sleep that night, every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same words.Last confirmed sighting: Ashworth Estate.I had read the report so many times that I could almost picture the page without opening my laptop. Danielle Marsh had disappeared two years ago.Her sister had reported her missing.Nobody knew where she was and the last confirmed place anyone had seen her was here. In this house, I turned onto my back and stared at the ceiling. There were too many coincidences. First Isabelle then Danielle and now me.I had been brought here to take Isabelle's place, but the more I learned about the women who had come before me, the more I started wondering if there was something else connecting all of us.I reached for my phone and checked the time. It was late.The house had been quiet for hours.I sat up slowly, If Danielle had disappeared from this estate, there had to be something left behind. A room she had used, a letter, anything that could help, and if the family had hid

For a few seconds, I couldn't think of anything to say, his question hung between us, and the worst part was that I knew I couldn't keep lying to him forever.“What are you doing outside this room, Sofia?” He asked again, this time he was very close to me. I could feel his breath on me. I looked at the bookshelf behind me then back at him.I could lie, I had become good at it since coming into this family. Every day, I put on Isabelle's name, smiled when I was supposed to smile, said the things I was expected to say, and pretended I wasn't constantly looking for answers but this wasn't the same.Arlo was standing right in front of me, watching me closely, and for some reason, I didn't want to lie to him again. Maybe it was because of everything we'd already discovered together, maybe because I was tired of carrying every secret alone or maybe I simply had a feeling that if I lied now, I would regret it, I let out a slow breath. “I found something.” I said calmly.Arlo's expression did

I kept looking at Danielle's photo.Danielle was smiling at whoever had taken it, completely unaware that two years later, I would be standing in the same room she had been kept in, holding the picture she had left behind..My fingers tightened around the edges.Danielle hadn't simply visited this room, someone had kept her here, I looked toward the bed. “Do you think she's still alive?” Arlo didn't answer immediately.He walked toward the small table and picked up the old phone we'd found there.The screen was completely dead.He turned it over in his hand, examining it carefully.“I don't know,” he finally said, I swallowed.“That's not very reassuring.” I said. “I'd rather tell you I don't know than lie to you.”I looked down at the photograph again.That was one thing I was beginning to appreciate about him. Arlo didn't pretend to have answers when he didn't, not anymore. “Do you think your grandfather did this?” I asked.“I don't know.” he said but I could tell he also thinks his

Arlo and I left the study, I didn't bother asking Konstantin any questions or even talking back, because I was scared,Arlo dropped me off, we didn't say any word to ourselves throughout the ride home. “Have a great night rest and don't think about my grandfather for a minute.” He said softly.“I will try.” I responded, and walked inside, deep down I know I won't get the conversation with Konstantin out of my head. ‘Your sister asked the same questions.’ I thought about that sentence as I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, trying to convince myself that I was reading too much into what he'd said.Maybe he hadn't meant what I thought he meant.Maybe Isabelle had simply asked questions about the family, just as I had, or maybe her disappearance had nothing to do with the things I'd discovered but every time I tried to convince myself of that, I remembered the way Konstantin had looked at me.Then he'd brought up Isabelle. I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer.“What d

I stood there, staring at him, I didn't move for a moment. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Arlo looked toward the road before turning back to me. He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, as though he knew whatever he said next would make this more real.“I mean whoever did this wasn't trying to send you a message,” he said. “They weren't trying to frighten you into leaving. They wanted the car to crash.” I swallowed. “And they wanted me inside it.”“Yes.”The word made my stomach twist.I looked back at the house. Mia was still inside, probably wondering why I hadn't come in yet. “Why would someone go this far?” I asked. Arlo's expression hardened.“That's what I don't understand.”I looked at him. “If they wanted me to stop asking questions, they could have threatened me.” “They could have.”“If they wanted to expose me, they could have told your family that I'm not Isabelle.”He nodded. “Exactly.” I frowned. “So why kill me?” Arlo was quiet for a