As dawn breaks and Lucas faces a new day, the weight of his choices presses heavily on him. The decision to bury the body in his house, once seeming like the safest option, now feels reckless and precarious. An unshakable worry settles over him: if anyone were to search his home, his secret would unravel, leaving him utterly exposed.

  Lucas’s mind spirals as he questions Lea’s motives and intentions. He doesn’t know who she truly is or whose body she brought into his life, which intensifies his paranoia. An unsettling realization dawns—Lea might exploit his vulnerability, using him as a scapegoat to clear herself of any suspicion. The thought chills him: he could become the criminal, shouldering the blame for everything.

  As Lucas’s mind races with fear, another unsettling question seeps in: could Lea really have orchestrated this entire plan on her own, or is there someone else involved—someone even more dangerous? The thought heightens his anxiety, casting shadows over his understanding of the situation. He realizes that if there’s another player behind this, he could be an unknowing pawn in a much larger scheme, making him even more vulnerable.

  This added layer of uncertainty fuels his paranoia, making him wonder if Lea might be using him for reasons he doesn’t yet understand. Is she just a puppet of someone else's plan, or is she the mastermind?Another question struck Lucas’s mind: Why had she chosen him? Did she somehow know about his past, or was she just able to predict exactly how he would react? As his mind turned over these doubts, the possibility of Lea’s hidden motives left him feeling more trapped than ever.

  As Lucas's mind spun with questions, a flicker of movement caught his eye through the window. He glanced outside, his heart racing, and saw a figure in the distance—Lea, approaching his house once again. As he spotted Lea approaching his house, an urgency gripped him. Before she could reach the door or ring the bell, he flung the door open and waited, watching her every step. The slight tremor in her expression, a flash of worry that slipped across her face, told him all he needed to know—the act had already begun.

  Standing there, feeling the weight of unasked questions pressing down on him, he realized he was desperate for answers. Lea’s sudden shift in demeanor hinted at something deeper, and yet, in that moment, he felt powerless to unravel it. She had set the stage, and he was caught in her game, aware but helpless to stop it.

  As Lea reached the door, Lucas, seized by a sudden urgency, grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. Before shutting the door, he scanned the surroundings, a lingering paranoia whispering that someone might be watching. The street was empty, yet the feeling persisted, an unshakable sense that unseen eyes were on him. With a final glance, he shut the door, pushing the thought aside.

  He gestured for Lea to sit, his tone shifted—firm, with a hint of anger and frustration boiling beneath the surface. He leaned forward, eyes fixed on her, and asked, "Where did you go last night? Who was he?" His voice was sharp and insistent, leaving no room for evasion.

  "Look," he continued, voice edged with warning, "I don't want any lies. No games, no bullshit. Just spit out the truth, Lea." His gaze never wavered, as if he could force the truth out of her with his intensity alone.

  As Lea looked up at him, her face was streaked with tears, her voice trembling as she spoke. She didn’t respond with the explanations Lucas had anticipated. Instead, in a tone of grief and regret, she pleaded, "Please… I just want to see him. One last time." Her words broke into sobs, her sorrow overwhelming as she spoke of her husband.

  Lea went on, "I panicked last night. I didn’t know what to do. I ran because I was terrified. But now… I need to take him with me." She seemed genuinely distraught, describing her confusion and the shock of seeing her husband’s body. She explained that it had taken her hours to regain her composure, and now that she had, she returned to give her husband a proper farewell.

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  Lucas felt the ground slipping beneath him as her words hit him. The reality of his situation deepened as he watched her; her grief seemed real, but he couldn't shake the suspicion that it was all just another twist in her plan, ensnaring him further into a web of trouble.

  The words Lea had spoken echoed in Lucas’s mind, but they did little to settle the storm raging inside him. His breath was shallow, his mind racing in ways he couldn’t fully control. Why had she returned? His thoughts tangled in confusion and disbelief. A few minutes earlier, he had been consumed by the urgent fear of finding her—finding her before anyone else could. But now, here she was, standing in front of him, and the question gnawed at him: Why had she come back?

  There was something about it that didn’t add up. If anyone else had been in his shoes, they would have panicked, called the cops, perhaps even tried to run. But not Lucas. His reaction had been different—cold, deliberate, and strangely instinctual. He had hidden the body. He had chosen to bury the evidence, in that moment of panic, instead of seeking help. Normal people wouldn’t have done that. They would have been too afraid, too shocked, too shaken by the sheer chaos of what they’d encountered. But not Lucas. He was no stranger to the darkness, to the quick decisions that shaped the paths of his life.

  And then, as the fog in his mind cleared, it hit him: Lea’s return. Her actions. They were no longer random. She hadn’t just come back for the body. No, something had forced her hand—his actions had forced her hand. If he had acted like anyone else—if he had called the cops, let his panic rule him—maybe Lea’s plan would have gone differently. Maybe she would’ve just vanished, leaving him to deal with the mess. But by hiding the body, by doing something so different, he had unknowingly shifted the whole game in motion. He had changed the rules. And now, here she was, returned to him—driven by something he hadn’t yet figured out.

  But one thing was clear: her return was no coincidence. Lea had a plan, but Lucas’s unexpected move had forced her into a corner. Now, she was back to finish what she started. And Lucas wasn’t sure whether to brace for the storm that was coming—or whether the storm was already here.

  Lucas took a moment to gather himself before he spoke, trying to mask the anxiety beneath his calm exterior. His voice was steady, but his mind raced as he looked Leah in the eye.

  "I—when you vanished last night, I was panicked... I didn't know what to do. So I—"

  His words came slowly, deliberately. He wanted her to believe him. He couldn’t afford for her to see through the cracks.

  "I took the body and... buried it somewhere in the forest. I dug a hole, and... I just buried him. I didn't know what else to do."

  Lea's face twisted in disbelief. Her eyes narrowed, a cold fire igniting in them.

  "Don't lie to me, Lucas." Her voice was steady, but her anger was clear, like a storm about to break.

  Lucas met her gaze, unwavering.

  "I'm not lying," he replied firmly, his voice betraying none of the doubt that flickered in his mind. "That’s the truth."

  But Lea wasn’t buying it. She took a step closer, frustration building in her.

  "That’s not the truth. I need to know where the body is, Lucas."

  A moment of silence passed. Lucas could feel his pulse quickening, but he maintained his composure.

  "Why do you think I’m lying?" he asked, his tone slightly sharper now, more defensive. "Why do you think I would lie about the location?"

  Lea hesitated, her eyes searching his face, as if she were trying to read every hidden thought. Then, without thinking, she blurted out:

  "Because you weren’t out of your house the whole night."

  The words hung in the air between them, and Lucas couldn’t suppress the small, knowing smile that tugged at his lips. He leaned in slightly, his voice lower, almost taunting.

  "How do you know that I didn’t leave my house last night?"

  For a brief moment, Lea looked taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected him to question her. But she quickly recovered, anger flashing in her eyes once more.

  "Tell me where the body is, Lucas. Now," she demanded, her voice cracking with frustration. "If you don’t, I’ll go to the police. I’ll tell them everything. I’ll tell them you did something to my husband. You killed him and hid the body."

  As Lea made her way toward the door, he watched her movements carefully, noticing the subtle shift in her demeanor as she turned to leave. She’s not done yet, he thought. The look in her eyes had changed. She wasn’t just playing the part of a grieving wife anymore—there was something more beneath the surface.

  His mind quickly pieced it together. She’s here for the body’s location. That’s why she came back. The way he had reacted the previous night, the way he had hidden the body—it hadn’t gone according to her plan.

  Aa Lea leave the house, Lucas could sense something shift in her. It wasn’t just the gathering of information—there was urgency in her every movement. She was taking in his every reaction, and it was as if the pieces clicked in her mind, pushing her to act. There was a desperation in her eyes, a silent need to relay the truth to someone else, as if someone was waiting for the very moment she gathered what she needed. It felt as if someone else’s hand was guiding her.

  To be continue...