Cremated Chains.

Chapter Thirteen: Once Upon a Memory

Sometimes you encounter people in your life who you simply can't lie to. People who are too important to be deceived in such a way. Usually, people don't really realize it until they are face to face with that person, and their lie dies down in their throat to the point where the truth seems to be the only option.

For most people, this person happened to be a close friend or romantic partner, but for Cassidy, it happened to be her father.

It was ignoramus of her to think that he wouldn't catch on, but that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was knowing Antonin knew something was wrong, yet not being able to talk about the notes, especially not after Dory's death.

Cassidy simply couldn't risk something happening to her father, especially not when he was so important to her. Then why did she find herself standing in their house's hallway in the middle of the night with her gaze trailed on his office's door?

The wooden floor's cold bite did not affect the teen as she leaned against the wall and contemplated her next move. Cassidy had two options before her, she could either stay and talk to her father or run back to her room and pretend she was never there.

Her decision, however, seemed to be made for her as Antonin finally decided to acknowledge her presence.

"If you're not going back to bed, you might as well sit down, Cass."

Antonin's words were occupied with a light tone as he continued shuffling a few papers, prompting Cassidy to walk past the study room and enter his office.

The office seemed serene but homely and fit Antonin's persona perfectly.

The ceiling lights were switched off and the curtains were drawn, the orange lamps situated around the room being the only source of light. Two walls of the office were covered with bookshelves, the last one covered with photo frames and Antonin's degrees. Her father seemed to have a place for everything in the room, ensuring everything was placed perfectly.

Cassidy hesitantly took a seat across her father, leaning back in the armchair as he continued working at his desk.

While it seemed like he was ignoring her, she knew this tactic, it was one Antonin used often. He would simply continue with his work until the other person broke and either spilt the beans or walked away.

For Cassidy, it was usually the former, and today wasn't an exception.

She cleared her throat as the teen pulled her knees closer to her chest. Her grip around the crumpled piece of paper tightened as her cornflower blue gaze settled on eyes much like her own.

For a moment she hesitated, mulling over whether or not her assailant would know about the conversation. It was only when Antonin raised his eyebrows expectantly that Cassidy broke, her tough demeanour crumbling as she let her tongue run free.

"Over the past month, I've been receiving some notes. These notes are why Dory died."

Antonin paused at his desk, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as the neurologist attempted to understand the situation.

"How do you know this for certain?"

Cassidy's grip around the paper loosened as she handed over the crumpled note, allowing her father to quickly read its contents before he turned back towards her. She could easily see the drastic change in his personality as Antonin removed his glasses and sighed, baffled by the revelation.

"Do you know who it is?"

She simply shook her head, feeling disappointed for not knowing her assailant's identity.

"Why did they kill Dory?"

This time Cassidy paused, briefly recalling the list of rules embedded in her mind and the consequences of ignoring them.

"I broke one of the rules. The note asked me to break into school and steal something from the principal's office, I didn't do it and started ignoring the notes."

She paused yet again, unsure whether or not it would be wise to continue. In the end, Cassidy figured the damage was already done and continued the tale.

"The next morning, I found a note on my dresser, so I decided to confront Tanya. We ended up getting into a fight and Dory died the next day."

Cassidy had expected many different reactions from her father. She had expected him to be angry at her for keeping such a secret, or upset for not noticing such a drastic change. However, she had not expected him to remain quiet and let out a deep sigh.

If anything was worse than her father getting angry, it was her father not reacting. After all, being aware of an upcoming storm was better than facing one out of the blue.

"We'll talk to the police Monday afternoon after your school ends."

It was Cassidy's turn to let out a sigh as she subconsciously nibbled on her thumb at the preposition.

She was well aware such a public stunt wouldn't go unnoticed by her assailant, but Antonin's reassuring smile made Cassidy let out yet another sigh and nod.

"Alright."

Presuming the conversation was over Cassidy abandoned her seat and walked towards the door, her mind still stuck on the possibility of her assailant catching on.

"Cass."

Her prowess was halted as the teen turned towards her father, waiting for a reply as he ran a palm through his chocolate locks.

"I'm glad you told me about it."

Cassidy simply smiled at her father and walked out of the room.

She felt glad about confiding in her father, however, the brunette couldn't quell the paranoia eating away at her mind as she returned to bed.