February 20th, 2022
Ellie’s Diner
Mills Creek, Massachusetts
The group spilled out of the theater into the chilly night, their laughter fading as they walked toward the café. They had just seen a horror movie about a vengeful ghost haunting her husband and his new family, and the tension of the film still lingered in the air. Lilia remained quiet, her thoughts drifting back to her own loss, her father’s absence still fresh in her mind.
As they slid into a booth at the café, Willow leaned back, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “I don’t know why everyone’s so afraid of death. Honestly, I think it’d be fascinating. To feel it, you know? The moment your heart stops, your body becomes cold . . . ” She trailed off, her tone almost morbidly curious. “What do you think it’s like, Lilia? You must have some idea.”
The comment hung in the air, chilling in its carelessness. Lilia’s stomach twisted. It hadn’t even been six months since her father passed, and the wound was still raw.
“Willow,” Delilah hissed, her voice full of warning. The café seemed to quiet around them, the weight of her words pressing on everyone.
Willow rolled her eyes, waving a hand dismissively. “Oh, please, Lilia knows I didn’t mean it like that. It was a joke. Relax.”
Delilah’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you have to be such a bitch?”
The smile that had been playing on Willow’s lips vanished, replaced by a cold, unreadable expression. She took out herlipstick and casually applied it, checking her reflection in her phone’s camera.
“Careful, Delilah,” she said softly, a warning edge to her words.
Delilah glared, her anger barely contained. Willow’s dismissiveness had always grated on her, but this was a new low.
Willow capped her lipstick, her gaze flickering to Delilah with a cruel glint. “How’s your mother doing, by the way?” she asked, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “I mean, I would never be able to recover after something like that.”
The table went silent, a heavy, suffocating quiet. Delilah’s jaw tightened, her knuckles white as she gripped the edge of the table. She had confided in Willow once, trusting her with a secret, a moment of vulnerability. And now, Willow was using it as a weapon.
Sebastian, sensing the shift, glanced between them. “What is she talking about, Delilah?”
Delilah’s gaze never wavered from Willow, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. Willow stared back, her expression taunting, as if daring her to react, to say something, to fight back.
After what felt like an eternity, Delilah finally spoke, her voice tight. “Nothing.”
Willow’s smirk returned, satisfied with her victory. She leaned back, her mood shifting as if nothing had happened. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m famished. Croissant anyone?” Her voice was light, carefree, as if she hadn’t just twisted the knife.
The others exchanged uneasy glances, the tension still thick, but no one said a word. Willow’s power over them wasn’t just in her words—it was in the way she could so effortlessly controlthe room, making everyone scramble to keep up, to recover from her callousness.
And she knew it.
Chapter Eleven
The video played on the laptop screen, casting a faint blue glow across the dimly lit apartment. Augustus sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows on his knees, and his eyes were fixed on the screen, though he winced with every passing second. Lilia sat beside him, her fingers brushing against his as she reached out to hold his hand. The warmth from her touch anchored him and kept him from spiraling into the abyss of emotions that threatened to swallow him whole.
As the video neared the part where the bed came into view, Delilah leaned forward, her voice cutting through the heavy silence. “Pause it.”
Augustus quickly hit the spacebar, freezing the image on the screen.
“Are you sure this is the same hotel?” Sebastian asked.
Delilah nodded, her eyes narrowed as she examined the ornate headboard and the luxurious bedding in the video. “Yes, I remember it. This is it.”
The Evermore Regency was far from the ordinary hotel. Tucked away on a secluded street in Boston, it was an exclusive retreat for the elite. The grand entrance was framed by toweringmarble pillars. The lobby boasted high ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers that sparkled like starlight.
“The Evermore Regency?” Augustus repeated.
“And you’re sure this is it?” Sebastian pressed, his gaze flickering between the frozen image and Delilah.
“Yes,” she confirmed. “I’ve been there before. My father hosted a banquet there a few years ago. This is the same hotel.”
