CHAPTER 38


    The time Lucas gave me to leave the manor was almost up, but I had onest trick up my sleeve.


    Wearing my lingerie and night robe, I adjust my ring. I wanted to make Luke remember our bond—what


    we shared, physically, emotionally and sexually. This was the only way I knew how to. I leave my


    bedroom, with aunt Ruth and Lydia rooting for me.


    I enter Luke''s room. It was my second time being in his bedroom. I''d never gone there before, because


    we mainly made use of my bedroom and the study. I was always curious about his room, but never


    thought to satiate my curiosity.


    The room is too dark. I can still see, but it is extremely dark. His room is huge, way bigger than mine.


    The room is almost empty, except for the bed, a few paintings I recognize as Van Gogh''s. There stood


    a tall library by the far corner of the room. I move there. I don''t have the time to carry out an inspection,


    I just needed to find Luke. I take out my phone and dial his number, and as I do so, it rings, but he


    doesn''t pick. I try again, and he doesn''t pick. Luke was a business man, always with his phone, so if he


    wasn''t taking my calls, it was definitely intentional. I needed to convince him that I had nothing to do


    with Rocky. I needed to save my marriage.


    I dial his number again, and he still ignores the call. I dial it again, but this time, it''s unavable. I sigh,


    as I slowly kneel in defeat. My hand hits something on the shelf and I turn back, as I hear a loud noise.


    The library had opened up in half, a secret passage. I gasp, as I''d never have imagined there would be


    a secret passage in the house. I enter inside, and it''s even darker. I can''t see, so I turn on the shlight


    on my phone. I find the light switch and I turn it on.


    Suddenly, my heartbeat increases as my heart begins to palpitate. "What the hell is this?" I ask, not


    expecting an answer from anyone. There are pictures pasted all over the wall, boards and on the desk.


    I walk closer to the desk and pick up some pictures. They were my pictures. Pictures of myself and my


    family, but mostly pictures of me. I keep scanning the room as I remember the events behind each


    pictures. A picture of me eating ice cream on the steps of Dubois C, pictures of me leaving the church,All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    pictures of my mother socializing, pictures of my father, pictures of me hanging out with my friends—


    why where there so many pictures of me? I go over to a board that''s covered with a cloth. I remove the


    cloth and instinctively, my left hand goes over my mouth immediately. The board isbeled with


    ''Targets'', and it had pictures of my parents, pictures of myself and the pictures of a few others I could


    swear I''d seen sometime back in my home. Our faces were marked with red. I''m unable to control the


    tears rolling down my eyes as I stare at the board. This was the reason behind the marriage. He


    nned it all. It was for revenge. It had to be.


    "No, no!" I wail, another wave of sadness hitting me. I needed an exnation for everything. I had an


    exnation for everything I''d just seen in my head, but I so badly wanted to give Luke the benefit of


    doubt. He would give me a more logical exnation if I just asked him. I sprint out of the room and


    head downstairs. I see Laurel.


    "Where''s my husband?" I demand. She rolls her eyes at me. "I''ll ask you onest time, where the hell is


    my husband?!"


    "If you can''t find him, it means it''s because he doesn''t want to be found. You caused all this, you wicked


    thing!"