The Truth Unraveled

Ariel's POV

I want responses, but I worry about what I could discover. As I dig, I come to see that I am in over my head. This goes beyond family secrets or exacting retribution. It's something far darker, something that might wipe out all I value.

But right now I cannot stop. I have come too far to turn back. I have to see this through whatever the expenses are.

I stop at the door as I get to my room to gather myself by deep breaths. I won't let them notice my dread. Not Marie, not Alan, not one person. I have to be robust.

Still, I can't get rid of the sensation that the gloom is closing in as I enter and shut the door behind me. Everywhere are shadows, and I'm not sure whether I will survive.

My hands shaking, I settle on the edge of my bed and reach for my phone. I must speak with someone—anyone. But I find no one I can trust when I go through my contacts. Each person living in this house has a different agenda and secret. And I simply play a pawn in their game.

My phone vibrates suddenly in my hand, and I almost drop it. My heart pounding in my chest, I look at the screen. This SMS message was sent from an unknown number.

Though you don't, you assume you know the truth. See me in the ancient chapel tonight. Come just alone; else you will regret it.

As I fix on the message, my blood freezes. sender of this? And of course, what do they want? First I want to pretend I never saw the message and delete it. But something suggests that this might be my only opportunity to find the necessary responses.

I inhale deeply, sharpening myself for what is ahead. Though I have no idea who is waiting for me in the chapel or what they want, one thing is clear: this might transform everything.

I can't get rid of the sense that I'm entering a trap when I put on my coat and head out into the evening. I have to go, though. I have to know the truth, without regard to cost.

The evening is chilly, and as I head toward the old chapel on the edge of the estate, the wind screams through the woods. Though the structure is deserted and deteriorating with age, something about it calls me in.

Heart pounding, I push open the large oak doors and enter. The only light comes from the moon peeping through the broken stained-glass windows; the air is laden with dust.

"Hello?," I yell, my voice filling the vacant chapel.

Just the sound of my own breathing and the floorboard creaking underfoot provide a response. I move forward a few paces, staring down the dark corners of the space.

I stop, my heart in my throat, as suddenly someone emerges from the darkness. This man is tall and broad-shouldered; his face is concealed in the night.

You came, he replies, his voice harsh and deep.

Who are you? My voice quakes as I ask.

He approaches very closely, and I can now see his face. My breath freezes in my throat upon identification of him. Someone I never expected to see once more, someone I considered to have been long gone.

"Adam?" I whisper while my head whirls. But you're dead.

He smiles—a frigid, nasty expression that makes me shiver. "Not quite," he adds, his voice full of contempt. But, if you're not careful, you could be.

My heart hammering in my chest, I back off. "What would you like??"

"Revenge," he replies simply, hate shining in his eyes. And you will assist me to grasp it.

He lunged at me, his hands tightening around my throat before I could react. I try to shove him away, struggling and panting for air, but he is too strong.

He lets go just as I believe I am about to black out, and I fall to the floor coughing and gasping for air.

"You have two choices, Ariel," he replies, his voice icy and detached. "You may die or help me obtain what I desire. That's it, really straightforward.

I raise my head, tears blurring my sight. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you took everything from me," he snarls, angry eyes burning. "And now is my turn."

I know the game has only just started as he turns and leaves me alone in the darkness.

The darkness is closing in; I'm not sure whether I'll make it. One thing is clear, though: I am not going down without a fight.

My mind racing, the chilly night air bites my cheeks as I stagger from the chapel. Adam is still living. The man meant to be dead, buried, vanished from my life permanently and now back and demands retribution. Fear and rage blend to cause my body to shake. I cannot let him prevail. But how did this come to pass? How did he survive?

I have to look for Alan. He ought to be aware of this. But doubt seeps in as I rush across the dark woods and branches catch at my clothes. I definitely can rely on him. He has been hiding so much from me; I wonder whether he is involved in this warped game.

The house is as peaceful as it was when I left when I got there. The only sound is the far-off murmur of the outer wind. I slide inside, my steps light as I head toward Alan's study. The door is closed; I hesitate momentarily. Imagine him in this with Adam. What if all of this is part of some nasty scheme to shatter me?

No, I tell myself, discounting the uncertainty. I have to try at least. I inhale deeply, then push the door open and start inside.

Alan is there, seated at his desk clutching a whiskey glass. He sees me and flickers with surprise. "Ariel," he murmurs, lowering the glass. "What is wrong?"

"Alan, we really need to talk," I begin, my voice shaking. Something happened tonight. Something I never would have guessed.

He gets up, worry written on his face. "What is it?" What then occurred?

I inhale deeply to help me to ground myself. "Adams... he's alive."

The room is momentarily deadly silent. Alan holds the edge of his desk, his knuckles white as his face turns pale. He whispers, "That's impossible," but there's something in his eyes—probably fear—that tells me he knows more than he is revealing.

"I saw him," I said insistingly. He found himself at the chapel. He put threats on Alan here. He added, "I have to help him; else, he will kill me. He wants retribution."