Chapter 24

The night swallowed them whole. Lily's pulse thundered in her ears as she followed Elias through a maze of darkened alleys, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps. Every shadow felt like a threat, every distant noise sent a spike of fear through her spine.

Elias moved with purpose, his grip firm on her wrist. He had always been like this—decisive, controlled. But now, there was something different about him. Something heavier.

Finally, they stopped near an abandoned parking lot, hidden behind a row of rusting dumpsters. Lily ripped her arm away, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Enough running, Elias. I need answers. Now."

Elias exhaled, rubbing his forehead before turning to her. "I told you, it's not that simple."

Lily's patience snapped. "I don't care if it's complicated! My life is falling apart, Noah is out there fighting who-knows-who, Langley is missing, and I—" Her voice broke, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. "I don't even know if I can trust you anymore."

Elias flinched, just barely, but Lily caught it.

"Lily," he said, his voice quieter. "I never wanted you to be involved in this."

Her eyes burned. "Well, I am. So tell me the truth."

For a long moment, Elias just stared at her, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. And then, finally, he spoke.

"There's a reason they're after you."

Lily's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"

Elias hesitated before stepping closer, lowering his voice as if the truth itself was dangerous. "They don't just think you know something. They know you're connected to all of this. Because of Dad."

Lily's breath caught in her throat. "Dad?"

Elias nodded, his expression grim. "He wasn't who we thought he was."

Lily's world tilted. "That doesn't make any sense. He was just—" She swallowed hard. "He was just an investigator. He worked on missing person cases. He—"

"Was digging too deep," Elias finished. "He found something years ago—something that got him killed. And now, they think you might be the key to finishing what he started."

Lily took a step back, her head spinning.

Her father.

The quiet, kind man who had spent his life searching for lost people. The man who had died in what she had always believed was a tragic accident.

Had it been murder?

The realization sent a cold shiver through her.

"I don't—" Her voice shook. "I don't understand. Why me?"

Elias's expression hardened. "Because you were always the one who asked questions. The one who noticed things." He let out a slow breath. "They're afraid you'll figure it out."

Lily's mind raced, every memory of her father suddenly feeling like a puzzle she hadn't known she was supposed to solve.

"I need to know the truth," she whispered.

Elias's jaw clenched. "Then we need to find Langley."

Lily looked up at him, her heart pounding. "Do you think he's still alive?"

Elias's silence was answer enough.

But she wasn't ready to give up.

Not yet.

Taking a deep breath, she wiped her tears and straightened her shoulders. "Then let's find him."

Elias gave her a long look before nodding.

And together, they stepped into the unknown, chasing a truth that could destroy them both.