I walked fast across the campus courtyard, hoping the pace would burn off some of the emotion still clinging to me.
My eyes were still a little swollen from last night—proof I'd cried myself into sleep again. I looked like hell, but whatever. It matched the way I felt inside anyway.
Laughter and voices floated around me, distant and hollow. The world hadn't stopped, even though mine had cracked open. I tucked my chin down, wrapped my arms tighter around myself. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.
Then I heard footsteps. Quick, hesitant.
"Merlina, wait up!"
I turned halfway.
Megan.
And Phoebe, trailing close beside her. Both wore that familiar look—guilt written all over their faces.
"I'm sorry. We… we didn't mean to hurt you," Phoebe said, her voice thinner than usual. "It was stupid. Really stupid."
"Yeah," Megan added, soft. "We were out of line. And… we didn't know. We didn't know who your mom was."
I stared at them, arms folded tightly over my chest. I didn't need pity or this sudden fake concern. Every part of me wanted to scream, but I held it in. My voice came out brittle instead.
"It's fine." A lie. "You didn't know. But it's hard… hearing things like that when no one ever tells me the truth."
That hit. I saw it in their faces. There wasn't anger in my voice—it was something else. Something raw.
"What do you mean?" Megan asked gently. "What happened to your mom?"
I almost turned away. Almost kept it to myself. But the weight of it had been building for too long. I exhaled, slow and deliberate, and let the truth inch forward.
"My dad told me it was an accident. That's all. All year, we never talked about it. Not once. It was like it didn't happen—or like it was forbidden to speak about it. But I know he's hiding something. I can feel it. And I need to know the truth."
Megan and Phoebe exchanged a look, their faces softening with quiet understanding.
"I want to help," Megan said. "Actually… I know someone who might know more. My brother, Louis. He's been following the case. I think he could help you."
Phoebe nodded. "We're really sorry, Merlina. Let us make it right."
I hesitated. But then my body relaxed—just a little. Maybe this was a start.
"Your brother, Louis… can I meet him?"
The ride to Louis' dorm was tense. I stared out the window, arms crossed, while buildings blurred past like a movie on mute. My head buzzed with what-ifs.
Megan knocked on the door, sharp and fast. "Louis, open up. It's me."
The door creaked open. Louis looked like he hadn't left his laptop in days—rumpled shirt, messy hair, and eyes a bit too sharp for someone his age.
He glanced up and saw me behind Megan. "Didn't expect company."
"This is my friend Merlina," Megan said. "Merlina, my brother Louis."
"Nice to meet you," I said quietly.
"Same," he replied, giving me a half-smile. "Am I in trouble or something?"
"The world doesn't revolve around you," Megan snapped.
"We need your help," she said. "Remember that Professor you told me about? The one who was…assaulted and—"
"Mrs. Marjorie Sanchez?" Louis interrupted. "Yeah. She was my Eco Professor. Why?"
Megan stepped aside, revealing me. "You're looking at her daughter."
Silence. Louis stared at me like the ground had shifted under his feet.
"You're her daughter?"
I nodded. "I need to know what happened the night she died. Megan said there was a suspect."
Louis pushed his laptop aside, sitting up straighter.
"First, I'm sorry about your mom." Louis said, his voice soft and careful. "The police never officially said it, but… the prime suspect was Conor."
I froze.
"Everything pointed to him. He swore he didn't do it. And somehow, the whole case just… disappeared. Some people believed he was innocent. Most didn't."
"But why?" I asked. "Why would he do that to her?"
"He was obsessed with your mother. Everyone knew. She reported him after he crossed lines—he got suspended, briefly. But he didn't stop. Said he was going to get his way, one way or another."
Louis' expression darkened.
"The night she was found… Conor was the last person on your mom's call log. He was also found unconscious near the scene, in his car. Claimed he'd been drugged. The cops bought it. Her death got written off as a tragic accident. But a lot of people think his family made it all go away."
I stared at the floor, my heart pounding.
"Conor's mom's a Judge," Louis added. "Dad's a Billionaire. That kind of power? It buys silence."
My voice was trembling. "What else do you know?"
"Not everything. But I've been following the threads. Every time Conor screws up, the world just… forgets. His record's cleaner than it should be." Louis's jaw tightened as he added, his voice taking on a darker edge.
"Conor Lesnar's one lucky bastard."
My breath caught. "Lesnar…?"
Megan unfazed beside me.
Louis nodded. "Yeah. The Lesnars, they're…untouchable. They made the whole investigation vanish, people stopped asking questions, he didn't just get off clean, he's been living like nothing ever happened. There are rumors…whispers but the Lesnars hold the kinda power that makes silence louder than justice."
I turned to Megan, heart in my throat. "Hold on…Conor Lesnar, as in Craig Lesnar? Are they—"
"Brothers? Yes," Louis confirmed. "Cut from the same cloth. You know Craig Lesnar?"
My stomach dropped, and my face burned. "Yeah… no… um… I kinda know him." I stole a quick look at Megan, half-expecting her to say something, but she stayed quiet, her expression neutral.
Louis leaned back, eyes narrowing. "That one's just as twisted. A delusion of superiority runs through their veins like it's their birthright. There's a darkness in that family."
The words hit me hard. I swallowed, struggling to grasp everything I'd just learned.
"Did you know about this?" I asked Megan, voice low and accusatory.
How could she have known so much about the Lesnars—their wealth, their father—without ever mentioning the darker side of it? The fact that his brother was a suspect in a murder here in this School, and yet it never come up in any conversation?
We had dinner with him at Barsea. Laughed at his best friend's jokes.
Heck, Phoebe is even dating his best friend!
She'd knew about his family's influence. But this? Why hadn't she said anything? Was it just… not important enough to mention? Was my mom's death really that insignificant?
I couldn't help but wonder why Megan hadn't told me about this side of Craig Lesnar.
"No, I'm just as shocked as you are," she said gently. "But Merlina… you need to be careful. This runs deeper than we thought."
I looked back at Louis. My jaw clenched.
"Craig Lesnar…" I whispered, barely able to force the name past my lips. His name tasted different now, like something sharp and all shades of wrong.
Like poison.
"I know," Louis said. "It's a mess. But I'll help you. We'll get to the bottom of it."
I nodded, slowly. My shock was fading—replaced with something hotter, sharper.
"I need to know everything," I said. "About Conor. About Craig. All of it."
"You got it."
I looked at Megan. She nodded.
"I told you I'd help," she said. "I will."
I took a long breath.
This was it. The moment everything shifted. The reason I came to Belview was no longer just a quiet ache—it was real now, unfolding right in front of me. The beginning of the truth. The beginning of everything.
"Then let's get started."
Louis' earlier words echoed in my thoughts.
There's darkness in that family.
That one's just as twisted.
They're cut from the same cloth.
And deep down, a question started to burn.
Was Craig Lesnar just like his murderous brother?