Chapter 19 - He Caught Us

Chaptter 19

I walked into the mansion, Jamal waiting for me in the living room.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked, his eyes narrowing. "You've been acting weird lately."

I shrugged, trying to brush it off. "I'm just stressed, that's all."

Jamal's gaze pierced through me. "No, it's more than that. You've been...different. Snapping at me, being more aggressive...it's like you're a different person."

I laughed, trying to downplay it. "I'm just tired, Jamal. Don't read too much into it."

But Jamal's expression told me he wasn't buying it. He knew something was up, and he was determined to find out what.

"Kim, what's going on?" he asked, his voice firm. "Tell me the truth."

I hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. But something in Jamal's eyes told me I had to be careful. He was getting close to the truth, and I couldn't let that happened.

Jamal's eyes narrowed, his voice low and menacing. "I know something's going on, Kim. And I'm going to find out what it is."

I tried to laugh it off, but Jamal's intensity made my heart race. "You're being paranoid, Jamal."

But Jamal just took a step closer, his eyes blazing with determination. "I'm not paranoid, Kim. I know you're hiding something. And I'm going to expose it."

Suddenly, Kiandra's voice echoed in my mind. "Let me take over, Kim. I'll handle this."

And just like that, Kiandra took control.

"You want to know the truth, Jamal?" Kiandra sneered, her voice cold and calculating. "The truth is, you're just a pawn in our game. And you're about to get played."

Jamal's eyes widened, shock written all over his face. "Who are you?" he demanded.

Kiandra just smiled, a fierce glint in her eye. "I'm the one who's been hiding in plain sight, Jamal. And you're just starting to realize it."

Jamal's eyes narrowed, his voice low and menacing. "I know something's going on, Kim. And I'm going to find out what it is."

I felt Kiandra's presence recede, and I took over, trying to compose myself.

"Jamal, what are you talking about?" I asked, attempting to sound nonchalant.

"You've been acting weird," Jamal pressed on. "Snapping at me, being more aggressive...it's like you're a different person."

I forced a laugh, trying to brush it off. "I'm just stressed, Jamal. Work's been crazy."

Jamal's gaze pierced through me, but I held firm, hiding my true emotions.

"I'm fine, Jamal. Really," I said, trying to reassure him.

Jamal's expression softened slightly, but I could tell he wasn't convinced.

"Okay, Kim," he said slowly. "But if something's bothering you, you know you can tell me."

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving him.

"Thanks, Jamal. I appreciate it."

As Jamal pulled me into a hug, I felt Kiandra's presence stirring in the background, watching and waiting.

As Jamal left the room, I felt a collective sigh of relief from the alters.

"Close call," Kiandra whispered, her voice echoing in my mind.

"Too close," added Kina, her tone laced with worry.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you take over," I said, chastising Kiandra.

"You did great," Kiandra replied. "You covered perfectly."

"But Jamal's getting suspicious," Kina pointed out. "We need to be more careful."

"I agree," said Kiandra, her voice soft but urgent. "We can't let him discover us."

"We won't," I assured them. "We'll keep our guard up."

"But what if he finds out?" asked Lily, her voice trembling.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Kiandra said firmly. "For now, let's just focus on keeping our secret safe."

The alters nodded in agreement, their voices fading into the background as I took control once more.But the tension lingered, a constant reminder that our secret was fragile and easily exposed.