Chapter 13: The Girl He Left Behind
891 Words
Sebastian’s car came to a smooth stop.
“This is it,” he said.
Regal looked up.
The building in front of her was nothing like her old apartment.
Taller.
Quieter.
More… secure.
“You live here?” she asked.
“No,” Sebastian replied. “You do. For now.”
Her brows lifted slightly.
“Temporary protection?”
“Controlled environment.”
She huffed.
“Still sounds like a polite version of surveillance.”
“It’s safety.”
She didn’t argue.
Not this time.
⸻
Inside—
Everything felt too clean.
Too organized.
Too controlled.
Very Sebastian.
⸻
“You’ll stay here until the hearing is finalized,” he said, setting his keys down. “Security is already in place.”
“Security?” she echoed.
“Discreet.”
“That doesn’t sound discreet.”
“It is.”
She gave him a look.
He ignored it.
⸻
“I have to step out for a few hours,” he added. “Don’t open the door for anyone.”
“Even if they say they’re nice?”
“Especially then.”
That almost made her smile.
⸻
After he left—
The silence returned.
But this time, it wasn’t heavy.
It was unfamiliar.
Regal moved slowly around the space.
Taking it in.
Everything felt temporary.
Like she didn’t belong there.
Because she didn’t.
⸻
A knock came.
Soft.
Unexpected.
She froze.
Sebastian’s words echoed immediately.
Don’t open the door.
Another knock.
Still soft.
Not aggressive.
Not threatening.
Regal hesitated.
Then, walked closer.
Carefully.
She didn’t open it fully.
Just enough.
⸻
And then she saw her.
Daisy.
Up close she looked different.
Less composed.
Less untouchable.
Her eyes were tired.
Red.
Like she hadn’t slept properly in days.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
⸻
“You’re Regal,” Daisy said finally.
Not a question.
Regal’s grip on the door tightened slightly.
“And you are?”
“Someone you bumped into,” Daisy replied.
A pause.
Then—
“At the hospital.”
Recognition flickered.
“You’re… the girl with the guards.”
Daisy gave a faint, humorless smile.
“Yeah. That one.”
⸻
Silence stretched.
Tense.
Careful.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Regal said.
“I know.”
“And yet…”
“I needed to see you.”
That made Regal pause.
“Why?” she asked.
Daisy looked at her.
Really looked this time.
Like she was trying to figure something out.
“You don’t look like someone who killed a man,” she said.
Straightforward.
Blunt.
Regal let out a small breath.
“I’ve heard that before.”
“From people who matter?”
A beat.
“No.”
Daisy nodded slowly.
Like that confirmed something.
“My ex… Lucas,” she said quietly.
The name hit the air…heavy.
Important.
Regal’s body stilled slightly.
That name.
“He’s the one who died,” Daisy continued.
Her voice didn’t shake.
But her eyes said everything.
Regal swallowed.
“I didn’t kill him.”
“I know.”
The answer came too fast.
That caught Regal off guard.
“You know?”
Daisy nodded.
“I was there before he died.”
Regal’s breath hitched.
“What?”
“Not at the exact moment,” Daisy clarified. “But close enough.”
The room felt smaller.
“What happened?” Regal asked quietly.
Daisy looked away for a second.
“I broke up with him,” she said.
Simple.
But loaded.
“And it wasn’t… nice,” she added.
“I went home. I was upset. Angry. I told my father everything.”
Regal’s chest tightened.
She already knew where this was going.
“And the next thing I heard…” Daisy continued, her voice softer now, “was that he was dead.”
Silence.
“I didn’t ask for that,” she said quickly. “I didn’t—”
“I believe you,” Regal interrupted gently.
Daisy blinked.
Surprised.
“I know what it feels like,” Regal added, “to be blamed for something you didn’t intend.”
That hit.
Deep.
For a moment they just looked at each other.
Two people connected by the same tragedy.
From opposite sides.
“They’re trying to kill you,” Daisy said suddenly.
No hesitation.
No softness.
Regal didn’t react outwardly.
But inside, everything tightened.
“I figured.”
Daisy stepped closer.
“They won’t stop,” she said. “Not unless—”
She stopped herself.
“Unless what?” Regal asked.
Daisy hesitated.
Then shook her head.
“Nothing.”
But the damage was done.
The truth was already there.
Unspoken.
Clear.
“You know more than you’re saying,” Regal said.
Daisy met her gaze.
“And you’re in more danger than you think.”
Another silence.
Heavier than the last.
“I shouldn’t be here,” Daisy said finally.
“No,” Regal agreed. “You shouldn’t.”
But neither of them moved.
Daisy turned.
Walking toward the door.
But stopped.
Just briefly.
“If I find something,” she said without looking back, “I’ll tell you.”
A pause.
“Don’t trust anyone too easily.”
She left.
Regal stood there for a long moment.
Processing.
Thinking.
Realizing.
This wasn’t just about survival anymore.
It was about truth.
And now she wasn’t the only one looking for it.
- Writer
