Lana's POV
"Look, Lana, we're really sorry we couldn't make it," Terrace admitted for the millionth time. She'd shed tears every time Eva's name came up in our conversation.
The door swung open, revealing Lionel. "Hey, I'm sorry I'm late," he whispered.
He wore a black Louis Vuitton shirt, blue jeans, and a pair of Nikes. His silver hair was perfectly permed, radiating the fragrance of some expensive hair product.
"You were supposed to be here with me," Terrace said through clenched teeth.
Lionel gave her a guilty look before leaning in to hug me. I caught a whiff of his cologne—it reminded me of Nathan, my long-distance boyfriend, whom I hadn't heard from in forever.
"Good to see you, Lana."
I gave a weak smile. "Good to see you too. Please, sit."
"I've been out all day trying to sort Xavier's documents," he said. "Still, I shouldn't have missed Eva's funeral, especially since we were close before he cuffed her."
"What documents?" My interest was piqued. I ignored the rest of his excuse.
"His new identity," Terrace answered, inserting herself back into the conversation. Her eyes were dry now, and she was reapplying her makeup like she'd never cried at all.
I was stunned. My sister had just died because of him, and all he could think about was moving on? Had the cops been so swayed by his status as a billionaire that they allowed these long-hour visits from his best friends? I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
Terrace paused her makeup session and turned toward me. "I tried convincing him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen. He's more concerned about his company, even though he left it with his personal assistant, Lionel."
"Eva would see this as disrespect," Lionel added, reaching for the glass of water on the center table. "I told him that, too, but he didn't listen. Right now, all he cares about is clearing his name and going back to his perfect life."
According to Xavier's confession letter, the glass of water sat in the same place Eva had kept hers the day she died. And Lionel's legs were stretched across the same spot where I'd seen her lifeless body.
"Wow."
That was all I could say. I wanted to scream, curse, and swear I'd kill Xavier with my bare hands but I couldn't. I was dumfounded plus Terrace and Lionel were his best friends, and I didn't really trust them. They could snitch on me and help him get away with killing my sister. Right now, everyone was a suspect, and I couldn't miss my shot at avenging my sister.
Suddenly, a cold chill swept over me—the same chills I felt every time I remembered my last phone call with Eva. Her voice echoed in my mind:
"Xavier wants me to sign the divorce papers. He's leaving me for his secretary. No way I'm letting him live happily while I suffer. I'd rather die than watch them together."
She had said it in tears, not knowing she was manifesting her own death. And now, the painful truth was that she was gone—and her killer would live happily ever after with his mistress. The realization was more heartbreaking than I had imagined.
"Are you okay?" Lionel asked, shifting on the couch to pull me into a hug. I hadn't realized I was crying.
I nodded, wiping my tears. "I'm fine."
Terrace put down her makeup kit and reached for my hand. "You don't need to hide your tears from us, Lana. We understand what you're going through. We promise to stand by you, just like we stood by Eva."
Lionel hugged me again, and that's when I broke down completely. I'd been holding it in for so long, faking strength while dying inside. Eva's death hit me harder than I expected, especially being alone in this mansion. Meanwhile, Xavier was hiding out in Falana, planning his next chapter. Did Eva ever cross his mind? Did he feel even the slightest guilt?
My phone blared with J. Cole's Deja Vu, snapping me out of my thoughts. I wiped my face and reached for the phone as Terrace and Lionel pulled back.
"Hello. Am I speaking to Lana Summer?"
"This is she."
"I have something important to tell you about your sister's death."
I gasped, nearly falling off the couch. My heart pounded so hard it felt audible. I pulled the phone away, covering the speaker.
"It's a strange voice. He says he knows something about Eva's death."
Terrace gasped.
Lionel's phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor. He had pulled it out earlier to text the agent handling Xavier's documents.
I brought the phone back to my ear, but the call dropped before I could respond.
"Hello?" I repeated, but the call wouldn't reconnect.
"W-who could that be?" Terrace stammered. She seemed just as stunned.
"I have no idea."
"Call him back," Lionel urged.
I tried three times, but each time it went to voicemail. Eventually, a message popped up: This number does not exist.
"It doesn't exist."
"Huh?" they both said at once. I stayed silent, trying to make sense of it. Who was that? Was there more to Eva's death than we knew?
"It must be a prank," Lionel offered. I glanced at him, tempted to agree.
"I think so," Terrace added.
I sighed. "I need to make a call to the commissioner."
"Don't tell me you want to track the number."
"No. The cops are still tailing Xavier. I need an update."
"How?"
"I planted a tracker on him the day Eva was buried."
"What? You did that? I thought you forgave him?" Terrace asked.
"I did. But Eva didn't."
"How do you know that?" Lionel asked.
"Crazy nightmares."
"But—"
I raised a hand, gesturing for them to pause.
"Hello, Mr. Smith?"
"Lana."
"I haven't heard from you in a while."
He hesitated. "M-my team is still working on it."
I caught the hesitation. "Is there something I should know, Mr. Smith?"
He sighed—one of those long, defeated sighs that say more than words.
"We lost track of him."
"What?! You can't be serious. What happened?!"
"We were following him after he left the gravesite. He spotted us and drove straight into a lagoon. We sent out a rescue team, but after hours of searching, we found nothing."
"Oh my God."
"I'm sorry, Lana. We're doing everything we can. Have you heard from him or know where he might be?"
"What makes you think you'll find him now when you already lost him?!"
He sighed again. "There was a viral post showing him at a mall in Calderm City. So we know he's alive. We're following up."
"In case you forgot, we're talking about my sister's death here!"
"I understand. We're doing everything—"
I ended the call before he could finish. Rage and helplessness surged through me. Everything Eva feared was coming true. He'd escaped. He was going to live his life with her. The justice we wanted was slipping away.
I guess I'll have to kill him myself.