CHAPTER 3
2158 Words
Lucy couldn't move.
The woman standing at the top of the stairs looked exactly like someone who had been dead for six years. Long dark hair, Pale skin
Those familiar brown eyes.
Lucy stared at her as if looking at a ghost.
“Elena?”
The woman didn't answer.
She simply smiled.
It was a small smile, but Lucy knew it.
She had seen that smile countless times when they were children. Elena used to make that exact face whenever she had done something wrong and was waiting to see if Lucy would notice.
But this wasn't childhood.
This wasn't a joke.
Lucy took one shaky step forward.
“Elena?”
Her sister slowly raised one finger to her lips.
“Shhh.”
Lucy's eyes filled with tears.
“You're alive.”
Elena's smile disappeared.
“Don't say that so loudly.”
Lucy almost laughed from shock.
“Are you serious?”
Elena looked around nervously.
“Yes.”
“You've been dead for six years!”
“I know.”
“I went to your funeral!”
“I know.”
“I cried for you!”
“I know.”
Lucy wiped her cheeks angrily.
“I even ate that terrible food Aunt Rose served after the funeral because everyone said I had to eat!”
Elena stared at her.
“I'm sorry.”
“You should be!”
For a second, they both stared at each other.
Then Elena's lips trembled.
“Lucy…”
She came down the stairs slowly.
Lucy wanted to run to her.
She wanted to hug her.
She wanted to slap her.
Honestly, she wasn't sure which one would happen first.
But before she could move, Damian stepped in front of her.
“Don't come any closer.”
Elena stopped.
Her eyes immediately turned cold.
“You.”
Damian's jaw tightened.
“Where have you been?”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“You're asking me that?”
“Yes.”
“You buried my sister.”
Damian froze.
Lucy looked at him.
“What?”
Elena pointed at him.
“You knew she wasn't dead.”
Damian shook his head.
“No.”
“You knew.”
“I didn't.”
“You always knew!”
Her voice echoed through the house.
Lucy looked between them.
“What are you talking about?”
Neither answered.
Lucien moved closer to Lucy.
“Stay behind me.”
Lucy turned toward him.
“Why is everyone suddenly saying that?”
“Because there's a reason.”
“Then someone should tell me the reason!”
Elena looked at Lucien.
“You brought him here?”
Lucien frowned.
“He came on his own.”
Elena looked at Lucy.
“You shouldn't have come back.”
Lucy stared at her.
“This is my home.”
“No.”
Elena shook her head.
“It stopped being your home a long time ago.”
Lucy felt a chill run through her.
“What happened here?”
Elena didn't answer.
Lucy stepped closer.
“What happened to you?”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“I survived.”
“Then why did you let everyone think you were dead?”
“Because I had to.”
“Had to?”
Lucy laughed in disbelief.
“You let me mourn you for six years!”
“I was protecting you.”
“From what?”
Elena looked at Damian.
“From him.”
Damian's expression hardened.
“I never wanted to hurt either of you.”
Elena laughed.
“You didn't have to want it.”
Lucy looked at Damian.
“What does she mean?”
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Lucy felt her chest tighten.
“Tell me.”
Damian looked at Elena.
“She knows more than I do.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“Don't lie to her again.”
Damian took a step forward.
“I'm not lying.”
“You're always lying.”
“Enough!”
Lucy shouted.
Both of them stopped.
She was breathing heavily now.
“I am tired.”
Her voice cracked.
“I am tired of everyone talking around me like I'm some stupid child.”
Nobody spoke.
“I died.”
She pointed toward herself.
“Then somehow I survived.”
She pointed at Elena.
“My sister died and somehow she's alive.”
Then she pointed at Damian.
“My husband buried me.”
She pointed at Lucien.
“And the man who saved me apparently knows more than he's telling me.”
Lucien looked down.
Lucy laughed bitterly.
“Do you people hear yourselves?”
No one answered.
“Exactly.”
She turned away.
“I want the truth.”
Elena stepped closer.
“You can't have it yet.”
Lucy turned sharply.
“Why?”
“Because you're not safe.”
“I haven't been safe for six years!”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“I know.”
“Then tell me!”
Elena looked toward the window.
Her expression suddenly changed.
“We have to leave.”
Lucien noticed it too.
“What did you see?”
“Nothing.”
“Elena.”
She looked at him.
“They're watching the house.”
Damian immediately walked toward the window.
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Lucy followed him.
“Where?”
Elena pointed toward the street.
“There.”
A black car was parked across the road.
Lucy squinted.
“It's been there since we arrived.”
Damian's face became serious.
“How long?”
Elena shook her head.
“I don't know.”
Lucien pulled out his phone.
“I'll send someone.”
“No.”
Elena grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“They'll know we're here.”
Damian looked at her.
“Who are they?”
Elena's voice dropped.
“The people who made Lucy disappear.”
Lucy went still.
“Made me disappear?”
Elena nodded.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Lucy stared at her.
“You don't know?”
“I knew one person.”
“Who?”
Elena looked at Damian.
“Your father's lawyer.”
Damian's eyes narrowed.
“Mr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
“He died three years ago.”
“I know.”
“Then how could he—”
A loud crash came from the kitchen.
Everyone froze.
Lucy slowly turned.
“What was that?”
Lucien immediately moved toward the hallway.
“Stay here.”
Lucy followed him.
“No.”
He looked back.
“Lucy.”
“You know how this works by now.”
He sighed.
“You're going to follow me anyway.”
“Exactly.”
Damian followed them.
Elena stayed behind.
The kitchen door was open.
Lucien entered first.
Nothing.
The room was empty.
A chair had fallen onto the floor.
One of the windows was wide open.
Lucy walked toward it.
“Someone was here.”
Damian examined the window.
“There are footprints.”
Lucien crouched down.
“They're fresh.”
Lucy looked around.
Then she noticed something on the floor.
A red scarf.
She bent down and picked it up.
Her fingers immediately went cold.
“No.”
Damian turned.
“What?”
Lucy stared at the scarf.
“I know this.”
Lucien came closer.
“From where?”
“My mother.”
Damian's expression changed.
“Are you sure?”
Lucy nodded.
“She had one just like this.”
Elena appeared behind them.
Her face went pale.
Lucy noticed.
“Elena?”
Her sister didn't answer.
Lucy held up the scarf.
“You know this too.”
Elena looked at it.
Then looked away.
Lucy stepped closer.
“You know it.”
Elena swallowed.
“Yes.”
“Where did it come from?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“Lucy—”
“You're lying!”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“I can't tell you.”
“Why?”
“Because if I tell you, they'll know you remember.”
Lucy froze.
“Remember what?”
Elena's face went blank.
She had said too much.
Damian immediately noticed.
“What does that mean?”
Elena shook her head.
“Nothing.”
Lucy grabbed her sister's arm.
“No.”
She looked directly into her eyes.
“You said if you tell me, they'll know I remember.”
Elena pulled away.
“Forget I said that.”
“How am I supposed to forget that?”
“Please.”
“No!”
Lucy's voice broke.
“What don't I remember?”
Elena stared at her.
Then she whispered,
“The night of the accident.”
Lucy felt a sharp pain in her head.
Suddenly, flashes appeared.
Rain.
A car.
Glass breaking.
Someone screaming.
A hand covered in blood.
Then darkness.
Lucy grabbed the edge of the counter.
Damian caught her before she fell.
“Lucy!”
She pushed him away.
“Don't touch me!”
He stopped immediately.
Lucy pressed a hand against her head.
“I saw something.”
“What?”
“A car.”
Damian's face changed.
“What else?”
“I don't know.”
She closed her eyes.
“Someone was there.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Lucien stepped closer.
“Lucy, don't force yourself.”
She opened her eyes.
“You knew.”
He said nothing.
“You knew I didn't remember.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“Because I was afraid remembering would put you in danger.”
Lucy laughed bitterly.
“Apparently breathing puts me in danger.”
Nobody smiled.
Then Lucien's phone rang.
He answered.
“What?”
He listened.
His face became pale.
Lucy immediately noticed.
“What happened?”
He ended the call.
“We need to go.”
“Why?”
“Now.”
Damian stepped forward.
“What happened?”
Lucien looked at him.
“Someone found us.”
Elena's face changed.
“Who?”
Lucien shook his head.
“They didn't say.”
A loud bang came from outside.
Everyone jumped.
Another bang followed.
Then silence.
Damian moved toward the front door.
Lucy grabbed his arm.
“Don't.”
He looked at her hand.
Then at her face.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Lucy.”
“I said no.”
For a moment, their eyes locked.
Something passed between them.
Something old.
Something painful.
Damian lowered his voice.
“I lost you once.”
Lucy swallowed.
“You didn't lose me.”
She slowly released his arm.
“You buried me.”
His face tightened.
Before he could answer, the lights went out.
The entire house fell into darkness.
Lucy gasped.
“Great.”
Lucien grabbed her hand.
“Stay close.”
“I'm trying.”
A sound came from the kitchen.
Something scraped against the floor.
Everyone froze.
Damian whispered,
“Who's there?”
No answer.
Then came a soft laugh.
A woman's laugh.
Lucy knew it immediately.
Her blood turned cold.
The voice whispered,
“Lucy…”
She couldn't breathe.
Elena's hand covered her mouth.
“Don't answer.”
Lucy looked at her.
The voice came again.
“You shouldn't have come home.”
A shadow moved across the kitchen doorway.
Damian stepped forward.
“Show yourself.”
The woman laughed.
Then the lights suddenly came back on.
The kitchen was empty.
But something was sitting on the table.
A photograph.
Lucy slowly walked toward it.
She picked it up.
Her heart stopped.
It was a photograph of her.
Taken the day she was supposedly buried.
But she wasn't inside a coffin.
She was standing beside it.
Alive.
And beside her stood a man whose face had been scratched out.
Lucy stared at the picture.
Her hands began to shake.
“Who is that?”
Damian looked at it.
His face turned white.
Lucy noticed.
“You know him.”
Damian said nothing.
“Damian.”
He looked at her.
“I've seen him before.”
“Who is he?”
Damian's voice was barely audible.
“He was the last person I saw before they told me you were dead.”
Lucy stared at him.
“And who was he?”
“I don't know.”
A phone suddenly rang.
Everyone jumped.
It was lying beside the photograph.
Lucy slowly picked it up.
“Hello?”
A woman's voice whispered,
“You're getting too close.”
Lucy swallowed.
“Who are you?”
The woman laughed softly.
“You'll find out soon.”
“Where is my sister?”
“She isn't the one you should be worried about.”
Lucy frowned.
“Then who?”
The voice became colder.
“Your husband.”
The call ended.
He was already staring at her.
And for the first time, Lucy wondered if the biggest danger in her life had been standing beside her all along.
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