But they had made a promise, a pact sealed in blood and whispered vows. They would protect each other, no matter the cost.
As Augustus sank into his seat, the tension in the room reached its breaking point. Sebastian’s frustration boiled over, his voice laced with anger. “You know what, enough of this protecting Willow bullshit. Who the hell is protecting us? I’m not going down for this. We didn’t have anything to do with it.”
Augustus shot back, his tone defensive. “And what, Sebastian? Do you think blurting out the truth is going to solve anything? It’ll only make us look more suspicious than we already do. We stick to the plan, we stick together.”
“Stick together? That’s what got us into this mess in the first place, Gus.”
“We shouldn’t have gone along with her. We should’ve gone to the police,” Delilah sided with Sebastian.
Lilia shook her head, her eyes pleading. “We couldn’t just abandon her. She needed us.”
“And now look where we are. Stuck in this mess, with no way out. They think we fucking killed her.”
Augustus clenched his jaw, his resolve unwavering. “We made a promise. To stick together, no matter what. We can’t start turning on each other now.”
“Is now seriously the best time for kumbaya and holding hands around the campfire, Gus? We’re murder suspects.” Delilah scowled.
“Persons of interest,” Eleanor corrected quietly.
“Please shut up,” Delilah deadpanned.
Sebastian shook his head, scoffing.
“If you have something to say, just say it, Seb,” Augustus grumbled, rubbing his temples.
“Nothing. I just think it’s time for us to stop protecting Willow. Maybe it’s time for us to tell the truth for once.”
The room fell silent, the weight of Sebastian’s words hanging heavy in the air. Was he right?
Could this be the end of their secrets?
As they sat in the cramped room, the finality of their situation sank in, enveloping them in a suffocating blanket of uncertainty. It was a stark reminder of their existence, how minuscule it truly is—how fragile. It was a reminder of the delicate balance between right and wrong, truth and lies.
Lilia’s phone buzzed in her pocket, disrupting the tense atmosphere of the room. She glanced at the screen, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of the message.
Sebastian noticed her expression. “Everything okay?”
Lilia forced a smile, her fingers trembling slightly as she typed out a response. “Yeah, it’s just my mom, worried about me, I guess.”
Her friends exchanged a skeptical glance, but they didn’t press further. Instead, they returned to the conversation at hand, discussing their next steps. As they talked, the weight of uncertainty settled over Lilia’s. She couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of unease that gripped her since receiving the text.
The door creaked open again. “Ms. Chen. You’re up,” the detective announced, his voice carrying an edge of impatience.
Lilia’s heart skipped a beat as she swallowed thickly, her palms clammy with nervousness. She exchanged a glance with her friends before rising from her seat, smoothing down the wrinkles in her dress, her legs feeling like lead as she followed the detective out of the room.
As they entered the adjacent interrogation room, Lilia took in her surroundings. The room was small and sterile, with white walls devoid of any color. A single table sat in the center, surrounded by four chairs. A two-way mirror occupied one wall, casting a reflection of the room back at itself.
The detective gestured for Lilia to take a seat opposite him, and she complied, her heart hammering in her chest. He adjusted the recording device on the table before fixing her with a penetrating gaze.
“Are you ready to begin, Ms. Chen?” he asked.
Lilia nodded, her throat dry. “Yes, I’m ready.”
With a click of a button, the recording device whirred to life, capturing every word that passed between them. And as the interrogation began, Lilia couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom that hung over her like a darkening autumn cloud.
Unknown
Dead girl walking.
