A prank

Rachel's soft breaths filled the room, her tiny hand curled against Bella's side as she slept, oblivious to the storm that had passed so close.

But Bella—she couldn't sleep. She couldn't even breath properly. Her body trembled even under the blanket, and her eyes kept darting toward the locked door.

Her mind replayed the moment again and again—the box, the cold hand, the awful silence in the hallway. Her fingers clenched the edge of the sheet tightly as she slowly slipped out from beside Rachel.

She crept to the corner of the room, phone in hand, and hesitated only for a second before calling Lucas. Lucas had just stepped out of a meeting when his phone rang. Bella. He smiled instinctively but it soon got replaced with a frown when he heard her voice.

The moment he answered, her composure cracked. Her throat tightened, a lump forming that made speech impossible. Tears streamed down her cheeks, unchecked and relentless.

"B-Bella?" His voice sharpened at the sound of her stifled sob. "What happened?"

"I—I got a parcel. Lucas... can you come home? Please," she whispered shakily. She couldn't even get the words out properly—just fragments and panic.

Lucas didn't ask further. Her voice was enough. "I'm on my way," he said instantly, not even needing more details. She didn't tell him what was inside—couldn't find the words. She just knew she needed him now.

He didn't wait for a driver. Didn't stop to explain to anyone. He grabbed the keys, heart hammering, and drove like hell was chasing him. She was scared. She never called like that.

Twenty minutes felt like hours. Then she heard the sound of the lock turning, followed by quick, urgent footsteps. Lucas didn't bother knocking. He used his spare key and burst through the front door. The hallway felt eerily quiet. His eyes immediately landing on the box near the console table. That damned parcel.

He crouched down slowly and opened the flaps. What the—

His stomach turned. There it was. A severed hand. Cold. Human. Not fake. Not a prank. His jaw clenched. Someone sent this to her. Someone wanted to scare her.

Bella, still sitting on the bed with her arms wrapped around herself, listened as silence fell for a few beats. And then came the sound of him swearing under his breath.

He shut the box instantly and stood. Every step toward the bedroom made his fury rise—until he opened the door and saw her, sitting on the edge of the bed, shoulders trembling. Bella looked up—pale, shaken, her eyes red and glassy.

He didn't say anything at first. He just walked straight to her, pulled her into his arms, and held her so tightly that she almost broke into tears again. She didn't resist. Just pressed into him, as if the fear was still holding her captive. Her head buried in his chest, she finally let out a sob she'd been holding back.

"I'm here," he whispered against her hair. "You're okay now. I've got you."

She clung to him like a lifeline, her heart pounding wildly. After a long moment, he kissed her forehead gently and pulled back to cup her face.

"Listen," he said softly. "You know halloween is around the corner right? It might just be a stupid Halloween prank. Some brat trying to scare people. You know how these things go... fake limbs, delivery boxes—could be anything."

It wasn't true—and he hated himself for saying it. But she didn't need the truth. Not now. She looked like a flame ready to burn out, and he couldn't let that happen.

Bella shook her head, voice trembling. "But it looked so—real."

Lucas gave her a reassuring smile, though his jaw was tight. "Whatever it is, I'll handle it. You don't need to be scared, okay? You're safe."

Still sensing the panic in her eyes, he shifted gears, trying to pull her away from the edge.

"So… tell me," he asked, brushing her hair back, "what did you eat today?"

She blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"Lunch," he said with exaggerated seriousness. " It's very important. I hope it was something good."

"I made pasta," she replied, her voice still weak but steadying slightly. "Rachel said it was better than school pasta." She didn't even mind that she is still hugging him.

"That's because yours is made with love," he teased gently. "And what else did you do today?"

"I painted. For a bit… before cooking. Then I picked up Rachel. We talked about cookies and books."

"Cookies, huh?" he smirked. "I knew I was missing something."

Lucas kept the conversation going until he felt her calm down, bit by bit. His calm voice and soft questions slowly pulled her back from the fog of fear. She relaxed into his arms again, the tension in her shoulders easing just enough.

"Come on," he said gently, "lie down. I'll stay close."

Bella didn't protest. She slipped back under the blanket beside Rachel, who had curled up like a sleepy kitten, undisturbed.

Lucas waited until Bella's breathing evened out and her lashes fluttered closed. Then, with a careful glance back at her, he quietly left the room. His expression changed the moment the door closed behind him.

Gone was the soft concern—his eyes darkened as he walked to the box and lifted the lid once more. There was no denying it now. That was a real hand. And someone had delivered it to his wife.

Lucas stared at the hand for a few long seconds, his expression unreadable. Then he pulled out his phone and made two quick calls. First was to Mark.

"I need you to check a delivery made to our home. Track the source, the courier company, the route—everything. And I want to know who sent it."

Mark didn't ask unnecessary questions. "I will send my man to take it from you. I'll keep you updated about the progress."

Next, he dialed Bella's bodyguard. "A delivery came this afternoon. Tell me what happened."

"Yes, sir," the man said quickly. "A courier arrived just after lunch. Standard delivery uniform, ID badge, everything. We ran the box through the metal detector, nothing came up. It was sealed properly."

Lucas clenched his jaw, pacing toward the window. "You didn't open it?"

"No, sir. There was no indication of danger."

"Except there was danger," Lucas snapped. "A severed hand came out of that box."

There was a pause on the other end. "We...we didn't detect anything unusual."

Lucas swore under his breath. Of course you didn't. Whoever sent this is clever. They wanted it delivered, not discovered.

Lucas swore under his breath. "Clearly. Stay alert. And review all footage from today—send it to Mark. Immediately."

When he ended the call, his hand lingered over the box again. Whoever scared her… they just made a massive mistake. Because now, they'd have to deal with him.