As soon as I hear the shout, my eyes snap to Mrs. Rauss.
She stands with her arms spread wide, a broad smile on her face, as if expecting someone to embrace her. Beside her stands a younger woman, clearly Eastern, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
I ignore them completely.
Instead, I stride toward Jennifer in wide steps, my voice sharp as a blade.
"Are you nuts?!"
I grab her shoulders firmly, pulling her away from the two unexpected guests until her back presses against the wall between the two windows. I make sure my body shields her completely.
"She said—"
"I don't care what she said!"
"But she said she's your mom!"
My entire body tenses. My grip on Jennifer's shoulders tightens. "Are you out of your mind?! I have no mom!"
"Well, how was I supposed to know—"
"I forbade you to open the door! For any reason, at any time!"
Jennifer's lips part, but I cut her off before she can argue.
"Which part of that order didn't you understand? Or did you just decide you want to get yourself killed?!"
Her eyes widen, taken aback. "No!"
"Then why did you open the door?!"
"I—"
"Not only did you open the damn door, but you let them in! For Satan's sake, Jennifer, how stupid can you be?!"
Jennifer's expression twists, but instead of backing down, she raises her voice to match mine.
"I know her!!"
I freeze. My head snaps back toward Mrs. Rauss.
"What?!"
"I know Mrs. Rauss, okay?!" Jennifer shouts back, her voice trembling slightly. "She's my mom's best friend!"
I turn back to Mrs. Rauss, my eyes darkening.
"So you used her."
Her face blanches. "W-What do you mean?" she stammers.
"You used Jennifer to get to me!"
"No!" she shakes her head desperately. "I wasn't—"
"What do you want from me?!" I demand.
Mrs. Rauss takes a shaky step back, her face turning pale. She opens her mouth, struggling to form words.
Jennifer, sensing my rising fury, tries to break free. "Babe, please—"
"No! Stay behind me!" I snap, pushing her back against the wall with one hand.
She swallows hard but nods reluctantly. "Okay. I promise."
I let go of her and pull my gun, keeping it trained on the two women.
Both of their eyes widen in shock and terror.
Then, suddenly—
Mrs. Rauss' knees buckle, and she collapses onto the floor.
"Aunt Joanna!!" the younger woman screams in panic, rushing to her side.
Jennifer immediately breaks free from my grip and runs to her, kneeling down beside her.
I reach for her, but she's already out of my grasp.
Thirty minutes later, the tension in my apartment has finally settled.
Mrs. Rauss is now half-lying on the couch, leaning against the younger woman while Jennifer helps her sip some tea.
I stand across from the coffee table, gun still firmly in my hand.
Jennifer glares daggers at me.
"Would you mind putting your gun down?" she says, her voice laced with exasperation.
"Yes, I would," I answer flatly, my gaze never leaving Mrs. Rauss.
Her face is still pale, but to her credit, she's regaining her composure—the wife of a general, after all.
"Start talking," I command, my voice sharp.
"Scott, please," Jennifer pleads softly, but I ignore her.
"You have five minutes to explain. Then you can both walk out of here—alive or dead."
"Scott Bennet!!" Jennifer snaps at me in anger.
"It's… it's okay, Jen," Mrs. Rauss reassures her, her voice still shaky.
She exhales slowly before meeting my eyes.
"I came here as soon as I found out where you lived. I had to be sure—I had to know I wasn't imagining things. So I brought Lily with me."
She gestures toward the younger woman beside her.
"If there's one person who knows you better than me and your father… it's her. Your fiancée."
Jennifer's head whips toward me in shock. "Fiancée?!"
I scoff. "You're crazy, woman."
Mrs. Rauss flinches but doesn't back down.
"I told you last time, and I'll tell you again—I am NOT your dead son." My voice hardens.
"My name is Scott Bennet. It has always been Scott Bennet since the day I was born. And if there's one person who knows that best, it's me—not you, and not some stranger claiming to be my fiancée."
I step toward Jennifer, grabbing her wrist and pulling her behind me again.
"Now, cut the bullshit and tell me—why do you want to kill Jennifer?!"
Mrs. Rauss' eyes widen in horror. "What?! No! I don't want—"
"TALK!" I roar.
"I swear—"
I pull the trigger.
The gunshot shatters the silence, the bullet whizzing just past her left ear.
Both women scream, ducking and covering their heads in terror.
"The next bullet will be in your skull."
"Quint, please!"
"I'M SCOTT!"
Mrs. Rauss gasps, trembling. "Please… I don't want to hurt Jennifer. I didn't even know she lived here before today!"
I cock the gun again.
"Please, you have to believe me! Jenn—please—"
Jennifer suddenly jumps in front of the gun.
"JEN!!"
She places her hands over mine, her eyes filled with determination.
"Babe, stop it. Put the gun down. Let them leave."
"Jen, they could be—"
"Babe…" She cups my face gently, her voice soft but firm. "Trust me on this. Please."
We lock eyes, a silent battle waging between us.
Finally, with a low growl, I lower the gun.
"Get out."
The younger woman immediately helps Mrs. Rauss to her feet, both of them moving toward the door.
Then, suddenly—
The younger woman stops.
"I… I want to say something before I leave."
She gulps, clearly nervous, before meeting my eyes.
"I believed Quint was dead," she begins slowly. "When I saw you enter this door, I thought she was crazy. You look different. You sound different. But when you walked… the way you grabbed her, the way you shielded her… the way you yelled…"
She hesitates.
"It reminded me of him."
I feel a strange chill crawl up my spine.
"We fought together. We survived together. We were adopted into the same family. We… we were engaged before…"
She shakes her head, forcing a small smile.
"Anyway…" She glances at Jennifer. "Quint had a birthmark on his butt—shaped like a thumbprint."
Jennifer snorts. "Scott doesn't have a birthmark on his butt."
The woman nods. "His… sorry to say this, but… his balls were slightly uneven."
My face flushes hot.
"That's enough!" I bark. "I'm sorry you lost your fiance. But I;m not him. I have a girlfriend," I say in cold, grabbing Jennifer closer to me. "She is my girlfriend."
The woman nods in understanding before finally stepping out the door.
But just before leaving, she turns back.
"Quint used to be bullied as a kid. They called him 'Quite Rauss.'"
I stiffen.
She smiles sadly.
"Goodbye, Scott."
Then she's gone.