Chapter 19:
Ash pulled his hand away from Aria's mouth, his brows furrowed. "Why did you come here again? Why are you messaging us like this?"
Aria looked at him, her expression a mix of sadness and confusion. "Why are you so angry with me?"
"Because of your brother," Ash snapped.
"First of all," Aria said, trying to keep her voice steady, "I don't believe he could do something like this. And even if he did, it has nothing to do with me."
Ash crossed his arms. "Then why are you asking us to find him?"
Before Aria could answer, Jay stepped between them. "Enough. This isn't the time to argue. Let's stay focused. Aria, why did you come running in just now? You looked really worried."
Aria took a deep breath. "After I met you all earlier, I went home and started looking through some of Alex's old things. I found something strange. He was preparing to get admitted to a different college, one we could actually afford. But suddenly, he got into Bella's college."
Chan stepped forward, his tone sharp. "So what? What are you trying to prove with this?"
Ash stood beside him, clearly still skeptical.
Bella gave Chan a small nudge and a look that said, don't be so harsh.
Aria continued, glancing between Chan and Ash. "I know you both don't trust me. But help me find him. If he's truly guilty, then you can make him pay for what he did. But he was supposed to be in jail, and he isn't. Doesn't that seem strange to you?"
Jay narrowed his eyes. "So you're saying he didn't get into the college he planned, but somehow ended up at Bella's?"
"Exactly," Aria replied. "We didn't have enough money for Bella's college. There's no way we could afford it. He was applying to a much cheaper school. But in just a week, everything changed."
Bella tilted her head. "Maybe he got a scholarship?"
Aria gave a small, embarrassed laugh. "With his grades? Not likely."
Jay turned to Ash. "We need to look into this. Find out what happened. Dig into the records, documents, anything you can."
Ash nodded silently, but his mind was already racing. Something about this whole situation felt wrong. Too many things weren't adding up. And deep down, even if he didn't say it aloud, a part of him was beginning to doubt what he once believed.
---
At Chris's Office
Chris clenched his fists in rage and slammed them against the desk. Papers fluttered off the edge and scattered onto the floor. "Why does everything always go right for him? After everything he's done?"
Sunny stood quietly in the corner, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. She had never seen Chris this worked up before. His usually composed demeanor was crumbling.
Chris turned to her, voice sharp. "What's the update? Who is that girl?"
Sunny hesitated, wringing her hands. "She's Alex's sister. Aria."
Chris looked stunned. "His sister? What the hell is she doing here?"
"She's trying to find him. Talking to the others," Sunny said. "She's asking questions."
Chris cursed under his breath. He turned and kicked the chair beside him, sending it crashing to the ground. "She needs to be stopped. Now. Before she ruins everything."
Sunny stepped forward carefully. "Do you want me to handle it?"
Chris gave her a cold look. "No. Not yet. Let's see how far she's willing to go."
---
At Aria's Home - Evening
Aria sat alone in her dimly lit home, a half-eaten sandwich on the table beside her. Her eyes were tired, and her mind wouldn't stop replaying the earlier confrontation. As she reached for a glass of water, the lights suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness.
A chill ran down her spine. Her heartbeat quickened. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint creak of a floorboard.
She could sense someone nearby.
Heart pounding, she grabbed a decorative statue from a shelf and tiptoed toward the sound. Her palms were sweaty, her breath shallow.
Suddenly, a shadow moved near the doorway. She swung the statue in panic—
—but a firm hand caught her wrist.
"Are you crazy? Were you really about to hit me with that?" Ash's voice filled the dark room as the lights flickered back on.
Aria froze, her eyes wide in shock. Then, without warning, she dropped the statue and wrapped her arms around him, trembling with relief.
Ash stood still for a moment, surprised by the contact. Slowly, he gently patted her head, unsure of what to say.
When they finally pulled away, the air felt awkward.
Aria cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?"
Ash replied, "I came to gather more information—anything that can help us understand Alex's past."
"You could have told me first. I've been scared for the last fifteen minutes, thinking someone was inside. Even the lights went out."
Ash frowned. "I just got here a minute ago."
They exchanged a puzzled look.
Suddenly, a loud crash shattered the tension. A stone crashed through the window, wrapped in a piece of paper. Glass scattered across the floor.
Ash rushed to the window but saw no one outside. He scanned the street, but it was deserted.
He picked up the paper and quickly read it. His face darkened.
---
At Jay's House
Ash and Aria arrived at Jay's place. Bella handed Aria a glass of water and tried to calm her down.
Aria's hands trembled slightly as she held the glass. Her mind raced with questions, doubts, and fear. She couldn't stop replaying the sound of that glass breaking, the chill of the room, the feeling of being watched.
Chan, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. "Maybe it was Alex."
Aria shook her head, more certain than ever. "No. It wasn't him."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure?"
Aria replied firmly, "Because Alex knows I'm afraid of the dark. He wouldn't turn off the lights and scare me like that. And why would he throw a stone at me? That's not like him."
Ash held up the note. "This was wrapped around the stone. It says, 'Leave them alone if you want to be safe.'"
Bella frowned. "Then it might not be Alex. He is her brother, after all."
She turned to Aria, her voice soft but serious. "You should stay with us for a while."
Chan stepped forward angrily. "Bella, are you out of your mind? You're inviting danger into your own home."
Jay raised his hand, stopping Chan. "Enough. Don't say things like that. Can't you see she's terrified?"
Bella looked at Chan. "Why are you so angry?"
Jay answered for him. "Tia was like a little sister to him. They were closer than even I was to her. That's why he reacts this way when Alex is mentioned."
Bella turned back to Aria. "Then it's even more important that she stays with us. If Alex really is around, he'll show up. And if it turns out someone else is after her, we'll find out who that is too."
The room fell silent. No one knew what to say. The fear, the uncertainty, the weight of the past—they all settled in like a thick fog.