Chapter 10

Nate's POV

Nate kissed Allyson lightly on the forehead before leaving the house. His mind was preoccupied with the anonymous messages and Rachel's threats.

He needed to confront Rachel and make it clear that she needed to stay out of his life. Despite the chaos, Nate had a gut feeling that the message had come from Rachel. 

As he drove to Rachel's place, he steeled himself for the confrontation ahead. He couldn't afford any more complications in his life, especially not with Allyson still unaware of his troubled past.

Allyson's POV

Allyson watched Nate leave, feeling a strange sense of unease. She decided to take a shower to calm her nerves. As she applied her toner, she noticed something odd in the reflection of the mirror—an almost invisible drawer on the dresser that she had never seen before.

Her curiosity piqued, and Allyson opened the drawer. Inside, she found a stack of photos. As she flipped through them, her heart sank.

The photos were of Nate and a little girl who looked just like him. Panic set in. Who was this girl? Why had Nate kept these photos hidden from her? They looked happy together.

She tried calling Nate, but his phone went straight to voicemail. Desperate for answers, she called Kelvin, Nate's best friend.

"Kelvin, it's Allyson. Can you come over? I found something, and I need to talk to you."

Kelvin's POV

Kelvin arrived quickly, sensing the urgency in Allyson's voice. She showed him the photos, her hands trembling. "Kelvin, who is this girl? And why hasn't Nate told me about her?"

Kelvin's expression turned somber as he looked at the pictures. "That's Lily," he said quietly. "Nate's daughter. She died when she was four."

Allyson felt like the ground had been pulled out from under her. "Why didn't he tell me?"

Kelvin sighed. "Nate has a lot of pain associated with Lily. Her death was a huge blow. He probably didn't know how to bring it up."

Tears welled up in Allyson's eyes. "I can't believe he kept this from me. I feel so out of the loop."

Kelvin put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Nate loves you, Allyson. He probably didn't want to burden you with his past. Give him time. He'll tell you everything when he's ready."

Rachel's POV

Meanwhile, Rachel was executing her part of her plan. She had intentionally cut her wrists, knowing it would draw Nate to her. She then called 911 and waited for the paramedics to arrive, the blood pooling around her adding a dramatic touch to her scheme.

When Nate arrived, the scene was chaotic. Paramedics were rushing in and out, and Rachel lay on the floor, her wrists bandaged but still looking pale and weak. She saw Nate and managed to whisper, "This is because of Ally," before passing out.

Nate's heart pounded as he watched Rachel being taken into the ambulance. He couldn't just leave her like that, despite his anger and confusion. He followed the ambulance in his car, trying to make sense of what Rachel had said.

Nate's POV

At the hospital, Nate paced the waiting room, his mind in turmoil. Rachel's words echoed in his head: "This is because of Ally." What did she mean? And how did all of this connect to Allyson and the secrets she might be hiding?

As he waited for news on Rachel's condition, Nate received a text from Kelvin: **"Allyson found out about Lily. She's devastated. Come home soon."**

Nate felt his world crumbling around him. He needed to be with Allyson, but he couldn't leave Rachel in this state either. He was torn between his past and his present.

The hospital corridor felt like it was closing in on Nate. His phone buzzed again, another message from an unknown number: **"You can't escape the truth forever. Make your choice."**

Nate's blood ran cold. He had no idea who was sending these messages, since Rachel is currently in the hospital. 

As Nate stood there, the doctor approached him with a grim expression. "Mr. Harris, Rachel is stable for now, but we need to keep her under observation. She must have no more stress or trauma."

Nate nodded, trying to process everything. He needed to go home and face Allyson, but the weight of Rachel's words and the mysterious messages loomed over him. What would he find when he got home? And who was trying to manipulate him and Allyson?

The answers seemed just out of reach, but Nate knew that he had to tread carefully.