Chapter 145

Olivia

The cold night air nipped at my cheeks as I neared Colin’s grand estate. The looming mansion was a stark contrast to the modest houses surrounding it. The sole light filtering from the slightly ajar curtains of the mansion beckoned me.

The choice to sneak into Colin's house was no impulse. It was something that had been gnawing at the back of my mind for days. Secrets, lies, and the odd relationship between Colin and Jen had festered, creating an itch I just had to scratch.

And the letter from Nathan’s mother, the haggard appearance of my childhood friend as he stumbled into our house after disappearing for a full day, were the final straw.

My father’s voice echoed in my mind…

“Olivia, your curiosity will be the death of you.”

“I know,” I had said. I was thirteen. My father had just caught me trying to sneak into the neighbor’s house, not for the first time, but for the third time. “But I swear they’re keeping him in there!”

“Honey…” My father passed his hand over his weary face. “I know it hurts, but it’s not your dog.”

“So?” I asked. “They’re still not treating him right. He likes being out in the fresh air, and they keep him cooped up all day. If I can just take some pictures, then I’ll show the animal rescue center, and they’ll—”

“They’ll turn you in to the police for breaking and entering,” he interrupted. “Honey, I know it’s hard. But sometimes, you just don’t have any control over what other people do.”

Tears began to spill out of my little cheeks. “Even if what they’re doing is bad?” I asked. “Even if they’re hurting someone?”

My father nodded slowly. His eyes, although calm, burned with a combination of frustration and sadness. “Yes,” he murmured, pulling me in for a hug. “Even if they’re hurting someone.”

…

The house was bathed in darkness, its windows reflecting the star-studded night. I approached it cautiously, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. Every footfall felt like it echoed through the silent street, though I knew that was impossible.

All the while, my father’s voice echoed in my mind, judging me for what I was about to do. But he wasn’t here anymore to stop me, to quell my curiosity.

And maybe, just maybe, my curiosity would finally reveal the truth about a number of things.

Slipping in through the back door, I felt a wave of unfamiliarity wash over me. This was Colin’s house, where Nathan had grown up. I never got to spend time here as a kid, but I always wondered what it was like. Lately, I had begun to realize that it was more a minefield than a home.

The house was as still as death, my every movement sounding thunderous in the silence. It felt like the world was holding its breath as I crept up the steps.

I began to make my way down the hallway, toward the office where I had seen Colin and Jen on the day of the funeral. Surely, if there was any information here, it would be in there.

The sound of a soft snore caught my attention as I passed by one room, startling me. A peek through the slightly ajar door revealed a sleeping form in the bed; not one, actually, but two. Curled together; long, black hair cascading over the pillow. A man’s arm over her shoulder.

It was Colin and Jen.

The sight twisted my stomach, a raw, disgusting reminder of their sickening relationship. It wasn’t right; no father and daughter, regardless of the fact that Jenifer was ‘adopted’, should ever be that close. The very thought of it made vomit threaten to spill out of my mouth.

I swallowed hard, quelling the bile rising in my throat, and moved on. At least I knew for certain now that they were asleep.

I made my way to Colin’s office at the end of the moonlit hallway. With a trembling hand, I opened the door and slipped inside.

The room was not only a testament to Colin’s love for luxury and power judging from the massive mahogany desk and tufted velvet chairs, but it was also an organized chaos.

Stacks of paper and files were scattered all over the desk and shelves. Huge, leather-bound tomes containing knowledge that probably didn’t even exist in our own library lined the enormous bookshelves that surrounded the entire room.

There was a massive, round window that took up an entire wall, and upon quietly tiptoeing over to it, I realized that the entire town could be seen from here. I could even make out the villa in the distance, although it was nothing but a speck.

How many nights had Colin stood in this very spot, watching us? Watching everyone with his hawk eyes?

I began my search methodically, careful not to leave any trace of my intrusion. Time slipped away as I quietly rummaged through Colin’s paperwork, my heart sinking with each passing minute.

Paper after paper revealed nothing but land agreements, business transactions, and Council meeting notes that discussed nothing of particular importance. At one point, I came across one note in regards to the ‘monster’, also known as Alvin, which almost made me laugh.

But other than that, it felt like I was chasing shadows, hoping to find something that wasn’t there.

Then I found it. A key, innocuous amongst the sea of papers and other trinkets, but holding it filled me with a sense of unease. I bit my lip, glancing around.

Finally, I spotted a locked drawer on one of the filing cabinets. I slowly made my way over to it and inserted the key, then twisted it. It worked. The lock clicked open, and I was able to slide the drawer out.

There was only one folder in the drawer, and it bore a name that froze me to my core.

Gamma Kamran.

My father.

The folder seemed heavier than it should have been as I picked it up, my mind racing with a whirlwind of thoughts and fears.

I opened it, my hands shaking, my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. Documents, photographs, notes. I didn't understand all of it, but I knew it was important. And dangerous. I would have to take this home and look at it more closely if I wanted to get a better understanding of it.

But for now, I knew that my time was running short; quietly, I slid the drawer shut again and turned the key in the lock. I just hoped that I could do something with whatever information was in this hidden file before Colin noticed that it was missing.

Then, the world turned bright. The light in the office flicked on, flooding the room in a harsh, white glow. My blood turned to ice, threatening to pierce my skin with frozen shards.

Slowly, my heart pounding so hard I was sure it would tear through my chest, I turned around.

There, in the doorway, blocking my only escape, stood Jenifer. She was wearing a long white nightgown that made her look ghostly in the doorway. Her face was a mask of sick satisfaction, an eerie grin plastered across her thin lips. I was caught.

Fear crept up my spine, followed by the realization that I had just jumped headfirst into the lion's den.

And the lioness had just woken up.