The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a warm golden glow across Thornridge Manor. But inside, the warmth didn't reach Amara's heart.
Eli's kiss lingered on her lips like a ghost she couldn't shake. His touch, so tender, had ignited something in her—something fragile and dangerous. But the weight of the secrets they were both carrying pressed down like a stone.
She knew she had to pull away. She had to stay focused.
But it was hard. Too hard.
Amara found herself wandering the halls of Thornridge late that night, the manor eerily quiet. Her footsteps echoed in the grand corridor, each sound amplified by the oppressive silence. The mansion felt like a labyrinth, twisting and turning, hiding the truth in its ancient walls.
She had to find out more. She couldn't wait any longer.
But with each passing hour, the danger was becoming clearer. The deeper she dug, the more tangled the threads became.
The journal. The photographs. Eli's silence. They were all tied together, pieces of a puzzle she wasn't sure she could solve.
She stopped in front of the old library door, her breath catching. There was something in that room. Something she hadn't yet found.
Eli's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Amara?"
She turned quickly, startled. Eli stood at the end of the hallway, his face a mask of concern.
"What are you doing up?" he asked, stepping closer.
Her heart beat faster. His presence was like a magnet pulling her in.
"I… I couldn't sleep."
He walked toward her, his gaze fixed on hers. There was something about the way he looked at her—something that made her feel both comforted and afraid.
"You should be careful," he said softly. "There are things here you don't know."
His words hit her like a warning.
"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
He hesitated, his eyes darkening. "Thornridge holds more than just memories. Some things are better left buried."
Amara took a step back, her pulse racing. Was he talking about his family's secrets? Or something else?
"Eli… are you hiding something from me?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, his eyes flickered toward the library door, as if debating whether or not to tell her more.
"I'm not the man you think I am, Amara," he finally said, his voice thick with emotion.
Her heart wrenched. She wanted to reach out to him, to tell him she didn't care about his past. But she couldn't ignore the gnawing suspicion growing inside her.
Was Eli part of the darkness she was trying to unravel? Could she trust him?
"I don't know what you're hiding," she said, her voice shaking, "but I need to know the truth. All of it."
Eli took a step toward her, his face softening. "I want to tell you. But I'm afraid of what it will do to us."
Amara's breath caught. He was afraid?
"What do you mean, afraid?" she asked, her heart pounding in her chest.
He reached for her hand, his fingers trembling slightly. "I'm afraid you'll hate me. That you'll never look at me the same way again."
Amara swallowed, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She had spent her entire life running from the truth—avoiding it, hiding from it. But now, she couldn't keep running.
Her mother's disappearance. Silas Ward. Eli's family. The secrets were all intertwining.
"I don't know if I can keep doing this, Eli," she whispered. "I'm so close to finding out what happened to her. To us."
Eli stepped back, his expression hardening as if the weight of her words had cut through him. "I never wanted to hurt you, Amara."
His voice broke, and she could see the pain in his eyes. But there was something else—something she couldn't quite place.
"Then help me," she said, stepping forward. "Help me understand what happened to her. Help me understand what happened to you."
For a moment, Eli looked as though he might speak. But instead, he reached up and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face, his touch lingering on her skin.
"I can't tell you everything," he murmured, his voice low. "Not yet."
Amara's heart sank.
"Why?" she demanded. "Why can't you just be honest with me?"
Eli's eyes met hers, his gaze unreadable. "Because I'm not sure what the truth will do to us. To what we have."
She took a step back, her head spinning with confusion. Part of her wanted to shout at him, to demand answers, but another part—an overwhelming part—wanted to stay. To be close to him, even if it meant stepping into the darkness she had been avoiding.
But the truth was out there. And it was waiting for her.
"I don't know if I can keep doing this, Eli," she repeated softly.
He didn't say anything, just watched her as she turned away and walked back down the hallway.
Her heart ached with every step.
Amara knew she was falling for him.
But with every passing day, the shadows of the past grew larger. And there was only so much she could do to shield herself from the truth.
She had to keep digging. She had to finish what her mother had started.
But the closer she got, the more it felt like she was losing herself.
And somewhere, deep inside, a voice whispered:
Don't fall for him.