LARA:
"What do you call someone who can't speak?" I asked sarcastically, glancing at Amara. "A mute. But what do you call someone who knows how to speak, but only refuses to with one specific person—especially someone who's been responsible for taking care of them, handling everything, yet never gets a single word out of their mouth?"
As usual, she just blinked at me. I sighed, handing her a glass of milk. "Why do you hate me so much?" I muttered playfully. She only offered a shy smile before lifting her glass and taking a sip.
It's been three days since we moved into Mark's place. Well, mansion. Amara's had a few good days, warming up more to Mark than she ever does with me. She even smiles at him and shares her few words with him. I'm starting to think the guy has some magic spell on her.
I'm the one who takes care of Amara between my internship and part-time job, yet she only sleeps next to me—like a child curling up to her mother. There's no actual bond between us, yet there's something unspoken, a little spark of familiarity that's growing.
"Fine, keep saving your words," I said, shaking my head with a smile. "I'll be home late tonight, got an extra shift, so stay home, and when Mark gets here..." I rolled my eyes, gesturing with a wave, "hang out with him and make sure you get to bed on time, okay?"
She nodded with that same, silent expression. Though she doesn't talk much, we have a good bond. Maybe because, since I was young, I've always wanted a family of my own. Heath did her best to give me that—caring for me like a mother, even though she was just seventeen.
Now, I understand that family isn't always built on blood; it's woven together with emotion, trust, joy, sadness, and everything in between.
Taking care of Amara with an emotionless monster like Mark around is a strange dynamic, but I'm grateful he's here. When I'm at work, he's there to look after her. Not that I'm not a little jealous, but it's good to know she's in safe hands.
I pulled out my phone, sent Mark a quick text, then grabbed my bag and headed out for the day.
As I drove, I took the road that led straight to Ana. We'd spoken last night—she seemed better, thankfully. David was handling Dr. Helia's case diligently, working to prove her innocence, but I could sense something still weighed on Ana from that night. That is why I couldn't tell her about Amara.
I will tell her today.
"Hey..." I said as I walked into her room. It was a far cry from how Dr. Helia used to keep her—at least she was no longer bound by invisible chains.
"Hey...you," she replied, looking up from her computer. As usual, she was deep in her research. After college, she was set to join The Alpha as a prosecutor, but she'd requested a gap year, convinced she was close to cracking her mother's case. "What brings you here today?"
I frowned, feigning offense. "If you already forgot, I'm still your best friend. And we have classes."
She barely glanced up as she replied, "I'll catch up on the notes with Professor Julia, but I'm onto something here, Lara. I think I'm finally close to get to the Devil."
"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting on the bed, watching her turn to face me, the weight of that night visible in her eyes.
Then she told me what happened.
"Oh my God! You did what?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing, practically losing it as she recounted her encounter with the Devil.
Ana looked flustered, stumbling through her words. "We-well...it's not like I wanted to..." Her voice dipped to a whisper before regaining strength. "But that's not the point. Look..." She motioned to her computer screen, pulling up a video from four nights ago.
The date: July 29, 2024. The timestamp read 9:01 PM. The footage showed the backyard of Ana's house, with handsome guards stationed along the perimeter, alert but unaware. But I am sure that wasn't what she wanted me to focus on.
My eyes narrowed, trying to decipher what Ana was pointing out.
Then I saw it.
Dr. Helia approached the gate, glancing around as if she's hiding yet waiting for someone. Moments later, Charlie appeared, slipping through the shadows and handed her over some small bottles..
"Look closer." Ana zoomed in on the bottle in Dr. Helia's hand. "It's the same drug she uses on her victims."
A chill ran down my spine.
They were exchanging drugs?
"But that's not all." Ana's voice was low, her eyes locked on the screen. "Look what's next..."
As I watched the next scene, my jaw dropped. Dr. Helia slipped into the house, leaving Charlie alone in the yard. Just then, a figure in a black hood appeared, moving with deadly precision. Moments later, a figure in a black hood appeared, moving with deadly precision. In an instant, he grabbed Charlie and pulled him into the shadows—completely unnoticed.
Minutes later, the hooded figure reappeared, slipping back into the premises with an unsettling familiarity, as if he knew every brick, every shadow. He strode straight toward Ana's window, pausing just below it. Glancing up, he pulled out his phone, typing something—and then, abruptly, the camera feed went dark.
Shock and disbelief coursed through me. I frowned at her, "This could literally save you right now, Ana! Call David and give him this video! I don't understand how you even got this while the cops are saying all the CCTV footage from that night was wiped out." Frustration and confusion colored my words. "Why are you sitting on this? It's proof you're innocent! If this person is really the Devil, and he's alive, this video could mean your freedom! Clearly, he's the killer."
But something about Ana's expression stopped me short. Her face was etched with unease. "That's the thing," she said slowly. "I received this video anonymously. At first, I thought it was from him—the Devil—maybe trying to scare me. But I spent all night watching it, and I realized it's not him. This is someone else, someone trying to send a message...to him or maybe even to me. Someone working against the Devil."
I stared at her, still confused. "And...?"
She took a deep breath, turning to me with a fierce determination in her eyes. "I'm not turning him in."
"What?" I gasped, disbelief flooding through me. "He's put some kind of black magic on you, hasn't he?"
Ana rolled her eyes. "No, but I am going to use this against him."
I couldn't tell Ana about Amara. Maybe now isn't the right time to share that I might have found a small family of my own. She already had too much on her plate, and flaunting my happiness could hurt her. No problem—I'll tell her another day.
As I left Ana's room, I shook my head, bewildered. She was losing it, stuck in that room for too long. Or maybe it was Dr. Helia's drugs. Started working so late. Whatever. I was already running late for class and sped toward the door when a hushed conversation caught my attention.
From the master bedroom.
"We need to find that girl. She's a danger to all of us. Either bring her back or get rid of her—permanently. You understand me?" Leo Hudson's voice was low but fierce.
"Yes, sir. But the girl is currently with a student named Lara Garcia. She attends Preston University, where Anastasia also studies. Her mother is one of your clients and..." the other man replied.
"Garcia..." Leo drawled, a sinister recognition in his tone. "I think I know her."
My blood ran cold.
"I dont care, just find her for me."
My heart pounded as I realized they were talking about Amara. They knew about me. My name had just been uttered in the lion's den. As I took a step back, a vase near me toppled with a crash, shattering the silence. Their heads turned in my direction.
I ran.