chapter 11:A Deadly Secret
624 Words
Rachel stepped forward with steady strides, approached her aunt-in-law’s ear, and whispered in a voice as cold as the breath of death:
— Do you think I am afraid of you? I am not the one who fears... I am the one you should fear.
The aunt-in-law froze in place, her eyes widening in disbelief, then she stammered:
— Are... are you Rachel?
Rachel replied with a terrifying calmness:
— And who else would I be but Rachel? For the dead do not return to life... especially if they were killed before your very eyes!
Rachel burst into laughter—a laugh that did not resemble her usual self, but one that carried the echoes of years of repression and pain. In contrast, the aunt-in-law’s face went completely pale. She recoiled in terror, and as her panic took hold, Rachel approached her once more and whispered:
— Do not be afraid... this is our little secret.
Rachel turned and walked away with steady, confident steps, leaving her aunt-in-law drowned in a fatal confusion and a shock that rendered her unable to move.
Gazelle left the hospital still under the impact of the confrontation. Once she reached home, she was no longer the girl who merely cried. She rushed to her room, cast off her usual clothes, and put on a daring dress that clung to her every curve. She applied dark, heavy makeup around her eyes and a vivid crimson lipstick that made her features look sharp and as cruel as a dagger.
This was not the Rachel everyone knew; it was an entirely different persona. She left the house and headed toward "Bar 1990," a place frequented only by those seeking mystery. She did not know that "The Shadow" had been watching her every move from afar. As soon as he saw her, he quickly notified John, who immediately dialed Ethan.
Meanwhile, Ethan was still in his office, wrestling with his own thoughts, until the ringing of his phone pierced the silence. John’s voice was tense and direct:
— Ethan, we found her... Gazelle is at Bar 1990.
Ethan’s features hardened, and he rose from his seat as if struck by lightning. He did not wait to hear more; he sped off in his car like a bolt of lightning. His anger this time was different; it was an overwhelming desire to confront this "cunning" woman who had toyed with his nerves.
Ethan reached his destination and pushed the door of "Bar 1990" open with force, his eyes scanning the place in search of the woman who had turned his life upside down. He left the noise of the street behind, but he saw no one but her.
Suddenly, he felt a soft, bold hand slowly touch his back, then she whispered into his ear with a familiar voice, yet one carrying a tone he had never known before:
— Surprise! Did you come looking for me?
Ethan whirled around like lightning. In a moment of overwhelming rage, he grabbed Gazelle and shoved her against the wall, pinning her firmly between his body and the masonry. Gazelle did not resist; instead, she rebelled in a way that ignited fire in his nerves. Her fingers began to slide lightly through his hair, caressing his neck with boldness, then she lifted her leg gracefully to rest against his waist.
Ethan’s breath hitched, and his words stumbled before this shocking proximity. He said in a husky, breathless voice:
— Who the hell are you?
She smiled at him with a coldness dripping with allure, and whispered in a voice only he could hear:
— Gazelle.
- Writer
