The drive to Racheal's house was cloaked in silence. The setting sun cast long, wavering shadows across the road, making the streets look more haunted than usual.
Inside the car, Racheal leaned her head against the window, her breath fogging up the glass.
"You know what?" she said, her voice low and brittle. "The sneaking out didn't stop."
David glanced sideways. "Really?"
"Yes David, she kept going out every night," Racheal said, sitting up.
"Even just yesterday, every damn night, like she was hiding something."
She paused, biting her bottom lip. "At some point… I even thought she had already killed you."
David swallowed hard. "What stopped you from following her?"
"I did try," she murmured.
"One night, I made it halfway down the driveway. But I froze. I was too scared of what I'd find."
Twenty-five minutes later, they were in Georges' living room. The air inside felt colder than outside. Harriet perched daintily on the couch, hands folded neatly in her lap. Adam stood beside her, a little too straight, a little too smug.
"Why are we here?" Racheal asked, the tension already winding through her voice.
Harriet's smile was controlled. "Because we have something to tell you."
Adam placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're getting married."
Silence dropped like a bomb.
Racheal blinked. "You're what?"
"Getting married," Harriet repeated, more brightly this time. "In two weeks."
"You're marrying my uncle?" The words stung coming out of her mouth.
Adam grinned. "Technically, I'm your father's brother. But since he's no longer here… life moves forward."
David stepped in. "Why so fast?"
Harriet's eyes glinted. "Because everything is falling into place."
Racheal's chest tightened. "What does that mean?"
Adam leaned in closer. "You'll see soon enough."
Harriet rose and walked off, her heels clicking like a ticking clock. Adam lingered, turning at the door. "Make sure you come to the wedding," he said. "It'll be... unforgettable."
The door closed with a soft click.
David, Racheal and Kate stood frozen in place.
A chill ran through Racheal's spine as she whispered,
"David… something's not right. They can't get married. It's wrong. It's so wrong. It doesn't speak well of this family. I have to stop them."
Later that night, tension hung thick in the air. Kate stood on the kitchen island, trembling. Her fingers toyed nervously with the corner of a napkin.
Racheal stormed in and slammed a small bottle down in front of her.
"Look at the label," she hissed.
"This isn't what we were prescribed. She swapped them." Kate's eyes widened, her face draining of color.
"I… I knew it. I knew something was off."
Before they could say more, Harriet entered the kitchen, a towel draped over her shoulder, her expression unreadable.
She glanced between them, then at the bottle.
Racheal turned on her, eyes blazing.
"I know what you've been doing. You've been drugging us. You tampered with our pills. You made everyone think we were addicts."
Harriet didn't flinch. She stepped forward, her gaze sharp and calm.
"That's a strong accusation, sweetheart."
"I found the stash," Racheal snapped.
"In the drawer under the linen shelf. The real pills, hidden. The ones you gave us? Laced with something else."
Kate stepped beside Racheal, her voice shaking but firm.
"She's not lying, Harriet. We've got proof."
Still, Harriet's expression didn't change.
Then, softly, with the precision of a knife:
"Is that really what you want to believe now, Racheal?"
"What?"
Harriet turned to Kate, her voice suddenly trembling, her face a portrait of wounded innocence.
"You just make up things in your head, and now you want to make me look like a bad mother? After everything?"
Without waiting for an answer, Harriet brushed past them and disappeared down the hall.
Moments later, Adam walked into the kitchen.
"I want you to take it easy in this house," Antony snapped, his voice sharp with fury.
"Harriet has been trying her best. The least anyone can offer is respect. She's been through enough."
Racheal's breath caught. Beside her, Kate stiffened, her hands clenched at her sides. The room was suddenly too quiet, the air too heavy.
Antony's eyes shifted to Kate, hardening like stone.
"And you," he said coldly,
"You've overstayed your welcome. It's time you left."
Racheal stepped forward, her eyes blazing.
"No," she said, her voice low but firm. "You know what? You two deserve each other, a very cold, bitter piece."
She turned, grabbing Kate's hand with purpose.
"We're done. We're leaving this house. For good."
Without another word, she led Kate out, the silence they left behind louder than any scream.
As they walked out of the house, Rachael felt a sense of liberation wash over her. She knew she had to get out, to escape the toxic environment that Harriet and Adam had created.
"Let's go to the Airbnb," Kate said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We can figure things out from there."
Rachael nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. They drove in silence, the tension between them palpable.
When they arrived at the Airbnb, Rachael felt a sense of relief wash over her. It was a small, cozy place, far from the drama of her family's house.
Kate sat beside Rachael on the couch, brushing hair from her face.
"We need this break," she whispered.
"Come out with me. That club I told you about, the one I used to dance at before I met Richard."
Rachael hesitated. Then she nodded. "Screw it. Let's go."
SilverBox Club was alive with pulsing lights and music that vibrated in their bones. For the first time in weeks, Racheal danced, laughed, and watched Kate smile like nothing had happened.
As they danced, Rachael felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see David standing behind her, a smile spreading across his face.
"Fancy meeting you here," he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
Rachael's heart skipped a beat as David pulled her into a dance. The music pulsed around them, and they moved in sync, their bodies swaying to the rhythm.
As the night wore on, Kate excused herself to grab a drink. Rachael and David continued dancing, their movements becoming more sensual, their bodies swaying to the beat.
The music pulsed through the air, deep bass vibrating beneath their feet as colored lights flickered across the crowded dance floor. David's hands rested gently on Racheal's waist, guiding her to the rhythm. The club was alive, sweaty bodies pressed together, laughter mixing with the DJ's electric beats, and for a moment, Racheal let herself forget everything.
The noise, the chaos, the pain, it all faded as David leaned closer.
"You're smiling," he said against her ear, just loud enough to be heard over the music.
She laughed, the sound light, almost foreign to her. "I forgot what it felt like," she murmured back.
The music climbed to a crescendo, and David pulled her even closer. Their bodies moved in sync, effortlessly. Racheal's chest rose and fell with exhilaration, her heart thumping, not from fear for once, but from the thrill of something simple. Something good.
And then everything changed.
Her eyes darted over David's shoulder. Just beyond the glimmering lights, near the edge of the crowd, stood a familiar silhouette. A flash of a tailored jacket. That crooked posture. The unmistakable jawline. Her heart dropped. "David." Her voice was tight, clipped. "Stop dancing."
David stilled, brows furrowing as he followed her gaze. "What is it?"
"That man," she said, trying to keep her voice calm.
"By the bar. That's Adam."
"Adam?" David's tone turned sharp.
Just then, Kate appeared beside them, wiping her damp forehead with a tissue. "Phew! This DJ's killing it. What's wrong? Why are you two …"
"Kate," Racheal interrupted, grabbing her arm.
"Don't look now. But Adam is here."
Kate's eyes widened. "What?"
"He's by the bar. I saw him. And …" Racheal didn't even get to finish her sentence before something even more shocking happened. Her Mom walked in dressed in black like she owned the night, stepped into the club. Her expression was unreadable, scanning the crowd like she knew exactly who she was looking for.
Kate's jaw dropped. "No. No way. What the hell is she doing here?!"
David's hand gripped Racheal's tightly. "We're not safe. We need to leave. Now."
"But how did she even know we were here?" Kate asked, her voice cracking as she glanced over her shoulder.
"I don't know," Racheal whispered. "But I think we're being followed."
Panic set in like a flame to gasoline.
"Move," David growled, pushing through the crowd.
Kate tugged her hoodie over her head. "We shouldn't have come here. This was a mistake."
Lights blurred around them, people shoved past, oblivious to the silent storm breaking among the trio. Racheal's pulse roared in her ears as they slipped toward the back exit. David opened the car. "Get in, both of you."
Kate scrambled into the back seat while Racheal fumbled with her seatbelt, still glancing back at the club's back entrance.
"Do you think she saw us?" Kate asked, her voice trembling.
"I don't know," Racheal muttered, breathless.
David peeled off into the street, tires squealing. He kept glancing in the rearview mirror.
"There's a black sedan behind us."
David's eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.
"It'd been trailing us for the last two turns. I don't like this."
"Slow down," Racheal suggested, her voice tense.
"Let it pass. Maybe it's nothing."
David hesitated, then eased off the accelerator, the engine grumbling beneath them as the car gradually slowed. The black sedan pulled closer, then veered left with a loud, careless honk and zipped past them.
Inside were three laughing teenagers, music blaring, windows rolled down. One of them tossed an empty beer bottle into the night.
David, Racheal, and Kate all exhaled at the same time.
"Just kids," David muttered, running a hand over his face. "Jesus."
They drove in silence the rest of the way, the adrenaline still lingering like smoke after a fire.
Back at the Airbnb, the air was thick with fear.
"No one said a word during the drive," Racheal murmured, pacing.
Kate sat curled up on the couch. "What if they were following us?"
"No i dont think so, I saw Dennis shake Adam's hand," Racheal added. "He owns the club. I'll ask him."