(One year after Maria's death)
A year had passed since Maria's death, and life had taken a strange turn for Sky, Mel, and those around them. Events never seemed to settle. In this tense atmosphere, Ana had become even more elusive, throwing herself into a nightlife she seemed to crave above all else. That evening, she was getting ready to go out again, and Grace, as worried as ever, decided to ask Cassie to follow her.
Arriving at the club, Cassie slipped through the crowd, her eyes scanning for Ana without being noticed. She sat discreetly in a corner, hoping Ana wouldn't see her—but of course, that didn't happen. Within seconds, Ana spotted her, a flash of anger crossing her eyes.
She moved through the dance floor, weaving between dancers, and stopped right in front of Cassie.
_"You're following me everywhere now?" she snapped with a voice full of reproach.
Cassie stood up slowly, her hands nervously clasped.
_"I'm just here to make sure you don't do anything stupid, Ana."
_"I'm not a child anymore, you know? I don't need you telling me what to do," Ana retorted, her voice burning with anger.
The words flew, tension rising between them, until Ana, fed up, turned and left the club without another word. Cassie watched her go, seeing her sister slip into a taxi. Before she disappeared into the night, Cassie took out her phone and called their mother.
_"She's gone. Another argument. She told me to leave her alone..." Cassie paused, struggling to find the right words. "I don't think she wants my protection anymore."
Grace, her tone cold and irritated, replied: _"You can't even handle something this simple, Cassie? As usual, I have to deal with it myself. Go home, I'll take care of it."
(At the Decker household)
The sun was at its zenith when Sky got up, determined to make something happen. She barged into Mel's room without knocking—a habit they had since forever. Mel was lying on her bed, a book she hadn't even opened resting on her chest. Her gaze was lost in the shadows of the drawn curtains, her thoughts, as usual, elsewhere.
_"Come on, Mel, let's go! I bought us two tickets, it's going to be amazing!" Sky said, bouncing with excitement.
Mel stayed silent, her gaze vacant.
_"It's been a year. You can't keep dwelling on this forever. You know Mom wanted us to live, not be stuck in the past," Sky continued, getting closer. She tried to be gentle, but a hint of frustration crept into her voice. She was tired of seeing her like this, always lost in grief.
Mel slowly lifted her eyes, but her face remained blank.
_ "I don't want to go out. And I don't want you talking about Mom, Sky. It's only been a year. It's still too soon."
She turned her eyes to the window, avoiding her sister's gaze.
_"You don't get to decide when the right time is for me!" Sky shot back, stepping further into the room. "I get that you're angry, and that you miss her—so do I, by the way—but do you really think depriving yourself of happiness will bring her back? Mom never would've wanted that."
Mel sat up suddenly, a spark of frustration in her eyes.
_ "You think I don't know that?! You think I haven't tried to cope? But you're not in my skin, Sky. You don't know what it's like to lose her... She was everything to me. And you—you're off with your boyfriend and going out while I'm stuck in this damn silence."
Sky felt the anger rise.
_"Don't throw that at me, Mel! I'm lost too, but at least I'm trying. You'd rather hide behind your walls and hope it all just goes away."
_"And you think you've got all the answers? That going out and laughing is going to fix everything? Mom's dead, Sky, and you want me to act like everything's normal?" Mel stood abruptly, her face red with rage.
_You've made pain your identity! You don't want to live, and you expect me to be like you? I can't sit around waiting for you forever!" Sky shouted now, her frustration bursting in the room like a storm.
The two sisters stood there, staring at each other, the silence heavy with unspoken words. Then Mel looked away, as if all energy had drained from her.
_You don't understand, Sky. And you don't have to."
Sky closed her eyes, overwhelmed with sadness. She turned away, ready to leave.
_"No, you're right. But I'll keep trying, even if you don't want me to. Because I believe we can heal, even without Mom. Maybe one day you'll see that too."
Mel didn't answer, but Sky's words echoed heavily in the room.
(New York – Ana Carter)
Ana walked slowly, her head spinning from the alcohol. Every step was an effort, but she couldn't help heading toward the place where she knew he'd be. Where she had once been happy. Jérémy. Her ex. The man she couldn't forget. Even though the breakup had been inevitable, she had never accepted it.
She knocked on the door, her heart pounding. The door opened. Jérémy stood there, surprised and a bit unsettled seeing her in that state.
_"Ana... what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice surprised but not hostile.
She lowered her head, tears welling in her eyes.
_ "I... I didn't know where else to go. Please... Rémy... I need you."
Jérémy hesitated for a second, then sighed and stepped aside.
_ "Come in, but you really should go home, Ana. You're not okay."
She entered, letting him guide her to the couch. She looked like a shadow of herself, but Jérémy, despite everything, let her sit without a word. He wasn't heartless, just tired of the emotional whirlwind she brought with her.
He went to get her a glass of water, watching her with quiet compassion. "Do you want help getting to bed?"
Ana nodded, her head heavy, before half-passing out on the couch. Jérémy stayed there for a moment, watching her, worn out by the months of tension between them.
A few hours later, the front door opened quietly. Jérémy turned, a tired smile on his face. He stood up, ready to greet his girlfriend, but her gaze instantly landed on Ana, asleep on the couch. A brief silence followed.
_"Jérémy, I… I thought we were supposed to meet tonight," she said, eyes locked on Ana. "It's her, isn't it?"
Jérémy looked at her, a pained expression on his face.
_"It's… complicated. She's just here for a bit. She was drunk and I didn't want to leave her outside."
His girlfriend raised an eyebrow, disapproval clear on her face. "You let her stay here? After everything?" She stepped forward, but Jérémy gently grabbed her arm.
_"I know, babe… but I couldn't just leave her outside like that."
A heavy silence filled the room as she cast furtive glances at Ana. Finally, Jérémy broke it.
_"Come… let's not let this ruin our anniversary. I got you something—come, I'll show you."
Once in the bedroom, their attention barely stayed on the gift. They were more caught up in kisses. She pushed Jérémy onto the bed, their hands wandering.
Meanwhile, Ana, half-asleep, suddenly woke up. The smell of alcohol, the feeling of suffocation... She sat up, eyes half-closed, trying to understand where she was. The fog in her mind lifted slightly when she saw Jérémy and his girlfriend kissing in the bedroom—the door slightly ajar.
Tension flooded the air. Ana felt an inexplicable rage tear through her heart. She couldn't bear seeing them together. The alcohol magnified her emotions, and a hazy vision of pain swept over her. She stood up suddenly, her steps shaky, but her anger drove her.
She noticed something under the couch—a small handgun Jérémy kept for security. Her fingers closed around it instinctively, as if it were the only thing that could numb her pain.
Without a word, she stepped toward the couple. Jérémy noticed her, surprised, realizing the gravity of the situation.
_"Ana, calm down," he tried, but his voice didn't reach her disturbed mind.
Ana's gaze darkened, and with a swift movement, she raised the gun.
_"How could you? I loved you, and now you're screwing someone else in front of me? You bastard, Rémy!! I hate you. It's you or me. You made your choice."
Her voice trembled with rage and heartbreak.
The girlfriend tried to step back, but before she could react, a sharp sound rang out. Jérémy fell to the ground, a shocked expression frozen on his face. The girlfriend screamed, trying to run—but she was the next to fall, her hand reaching her neck where a second bullet had struck.
Silence fell like a shroud. Ana stood there, arm extended, the gun still in hand. The metallic smell of blood filled the air. But in her mind, there was nothing but emptiness. The rage had passed, and only loneliness remained. She slumped against the couch, the gun beside her. Her eyes slowly closed, alcohol pulling her back.
The two bodies lay there, lifeless.
The silence in the room was heavy. Blood, still warm, pooled around the corpses. Ana, sitting on the floor, stared blankly, eyes filled with confusion and terror. The pressure, the alcohol, the anger... it had all led to this chaos. But there was no going back.
Grace, after checking with all her daughter's friends, decided to go to Jérémy's. She knocked, but there was no answer. The door creaked open—she stepped inside, worry written all over her face.
_"Ana? Where are you?"
She barely took a step before her eyes fell on the bodies. The room felt frozen in time, every detail tainted with the violence that had taken place. Her gaze moved from Jérémy, to the girlfriend… and finally to her daughter, trembling, hands stained with blood, panic on her face.
_"No, no, no... Ana!" Grace screamed, rushing toward her. "What have you done..."
_"Mom… I… I didn't mean to… I… I'm sorry," she sobbed, her voice broken by terror. "I didn't want to… I didn't want to…"
She collapsed into tears, her body shaking with uncontrollable tremors. She curled up on herself, feeling trapped, both responsible and terrified by the consequences of her actions.
_"I don't want to go to prison, Mom… Please, I… I'm lost, I… I don't know what came over me…" She looked up at Grace, pleading with her eyes. "Help me, please… I'm begging you, don't let me do this alone. I… I'm sorry."
Grace, despite the panic boiling inside her, knelt beside her daughter, her hand gently resting on her head. Her features were firm, her gaze intense, but there was something protective in her posture. She knew what she had to do. She had always known how to manipulate events to her advantage.
_"Ana… listen to me," she said, her voice calm, almost icy. "You're not going to prison. You're not going to ruin your life over this."
Ana nodded, as if those words were all she needed to hear.
_"You… you're going to fix everything?" she asked, her voice fragile.
_"Yes," Grace replied, her tone unwavering. "I won't let anything happen to you. But you have to trust me. We have to do this cleanly."
Ana looked up at her mother, a mixture of relief and terror in her eyes. _"How… how are we going to do it?"
Grace stood up, looking around, assessing the situation. She knew they had to act fast, that they had to erase every trace of what had just happened. Her thoughts were already turning, like a relentless machine.
_"I'm going to call someone to take care of this," she said calmly. "But you have to promise me you'll stay calm. It's the only way."
Ana nodded, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
_"I'll do whatever you say, Mom… I don't want to lose everything. I don't want to…"
She trailed off, and Grace, with one last hard look, let out a quiet sigh.
_"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. I'll handle it. Just remember this, Ana: you are my daughter. And as long as I'm here, nothing can destroy you."
In her eyes, it was clear she already had a plan — a dangerous one.
Coming soon in Chapter 3:
As Cassie begins to doubt those around her, a trap slowly closes in. But who, in the shadows, is really pulling the strings?
Blood has been spilled once… And this is only the beginning.