Chapter 60 Chapter 60
“Trust is a delicate thing. One minute you’re sleeping beside someone… the next minute you’re reconsidering your relationship choices.”
Something crashed through the front door, the sound barely reached Clara through the roaring in her ears.
Hale’s hand was still crushing her throat, his fingers digging mercilessly into her skin. Her lungs burned, desperate for air that refused to come.
Her vision blurred at the edges and darkness crept in slowly but just before everything faded, she heard it. A wet, unmistakable sound of flesh being stabbed.
Hale’s grip loosened and the last thing Clara saw before the world swallowed her was a shadow moving behind him then everything went black.
Clara woke with a sharp gasp, her chest heaved as air rushed violently into her lungs. Every breath scraped painfully down her throat.
Someone was crouched beside her, a woman. Clara squinted through the haze clouding her mind. The face was familiar but also not.It was like staring at a memory she couldn’t quite grab.
The woman gently rubbed her back “Easy,” she murmured softly “You’re safe now.”
Safe. The word triggered something deep in Clara’s mind then her eyes widened as fragments of memories burst through the fog. The laughters, shared secrets.
Two girls whispering under blankets. Running through autumn leaves.
“Tr… Trinity?”
She smiled faintly “Yes”
Clara’s breath caught. More memories rushed back, crashing painfully against the walls of her mind. It felt like knives digging into her skull then she suddenly burst into tears.
“I’m sorry!” she sobbed, grabbing Trinity’s arm desperately. “I’m so sorry....I forgot you. I didn’t even try to look for you"
Trinity’s expression softened ans she gently pulled Clara into a hug
“Hey,” she whispered. “It’s not your fault.”
Clara shook her head violently “It is. You disappeared and I just.... I just lived my life like nothing happened"
“It wasn’t you,” Trinity said quietly. “It was the drugs.”
Clara pulled back "What drugs?”
“The ones they used on you,” Trinity replied
Her tone was calm, but something dark flickered behind her eyes
“They mess with memory. Anyone who takes them loses pieces of themselves”
Clara stared at her, confused “What are you talking about?” Before Trinity could answer, a shadow appeared behind her. Peterson.His face was twisted with something ugly. Fury and betrayal.
Before either woman could react, he stepped forward slashing Trinity. A red line opened across Trinity’s throat.
Clara screamed as blood sprayed across her hands and Trinity collapsed. Her eyes wide and lifeless.
Clara jolted upright in bed with a terrified scream. Her chest heaved violently as she looked around the room. It took several seconds for reality to settle, it was just a dream.
Her heart pounded wildly but the memory of Hale trying to kill her— that wasn’t a dream. She slowly turned her head to see Hale watching her from across the room.
His expression was unreadable but his eyes looked… worried.
When he stood up, Clara’s body reacted before her mind could, she scrambled out of the bed, stumbling backward
“Stay away from me!” she cried
Hale froze immediately “I’m not going to hurt you,” he said quietly
Clara wrapped her arms tightly around herself, shaking “I want to go home,” she whispered through tears. “I don’t feel safe here.”
Hale took a cautious step forward and she screamed “Don’t come closer!”, her voice cracked “I don’t want to die”
The words hit him like a physical blow. Hale stood still for a long moment then he exhaled slowly
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
But Clara just shook her head, backing away further “Please,” she whispered "Just leave.”
The defeat in Hale’s eyes was unmistakable. He nodded once then silently left the room. Clara paced the bedroom the moment the door shut, her mind was spinning.
“Trinity…” she murmured, the name felt heavy on her tongue.
Why couldn’t she remember clearly?, Images flashed in fragments. A girl with bright laughter. Someone important. Someone she loved. Why were her memories broken?, She pressed her fingers to her temples.
“I need to see my dad,” she muttered to herself "The nursing home… he’ll know…”
But another thought gnawed at her. Where was Trinity?
In the living room, Hale walked in to find Jason leaning casually against the bar. Jason was pouring himself a glass of whiskey like a man who had absolutely no responsibilities in life.
“Is she awake?” Jason asked.
Hale didn’t answer, he simply walked over, grabbed the whiskey from Jason’s hand, and drank it in one swallow.
Jason blinked “…Okay.”
“She’s awake,” Hale muttered
“And?”
“She won’t let me near her.”
Jason raised an eyebrow “Well,” he said dryly, “that might have something to do with the whole 'trying to kill her' thing.”
Hale rubbed his face in frustration “I lost control.”
“What triggered it?” Jason rubbed his chin
“She said something" Hale exhaled slowly “She said I’d always be there to save her.”
Jason frowned “And that made you homicidal?”
“It’s a trigger word"
Jason stared at him “That sounds… incredibly inconvenient.”
Hale ignored him and just poured himself more whiskey “We need to get to Dr. Von,” he said. “Fast and we need to do it without my grandfather finding out.”
Jason sighed “Speaking of Bryant… He invited me to his office.”
“For what?”
Jason shrugged “No idea.”
Before Hale could respond, a scream echoed from the bedroom. Hale immediately stood up but Jason grabbed his arm shaking his head in disapproval.
“She’s scared of you right now,” Jason said calmly. “Let the non-murderous friend handle this one.”
Jason walked toward the hallway just as the front door opened. Peterson walked in casually like he owned the place. Jason paused and looked back at Hale.
"Oh good,” he said with a grin. “Another person she’s terrified of. Clara might have a cardiac arrest today"
Hale’s eyes darkened as he turned to Peterson"why are you here?”
Peterson shrugged lazily pouring himself a glass “I was bored.”
"Go play with your pet if you’re bored" Hale said dryly
Peterson’s jaw tightened then he laughed softly “Not yet but very soon"
His eyes darkened “She’ll pay for trying to kill me and for lying to me.”
Meanwhile, Jason stepped into the room. The moment Clara saw him, she practically launched herself into his arms
“Jason!” she cried.
He blinked in surprise “Well,” he said lightly, “this is new.”
She clung to him desperately like he was her only way out “Please take me away from here”
Jason patted her awkwardly “You’re getting dangerously close to making me think you have a crush on me.”
Clara ignored the joke, her hands trembling “Trinity is in trouble,” she said urgently
Jason frowned “Trinity? How?”
“My best friend,” Clara said “is in danger"
Jason’s expression changed instantly “Clara… when was the last time you saw Trinity?”
She looked confused then she palmed her forehead trying desperately to remember “I…I don’t know.”
Jason rushed out of the room and stormed into the living room. Hale and Peterson both turned toward him with a frown.
“We have a problem"
Hale shot up with stiff shoulders “What?”
Jason looked past him and directly at Peterson “Trinity....was kidnapped on Halloween night.”