Chapter 173

Chapter 173
Renée's POV

Once I was at a safe distance, I parked my car and allowed myself to let it all out. My chest hurt like a thousand bricks were thrown at it. It was so unfair.
Even more so because I knew no matter how much I claimed to hate him, I didn't.

For the next five minutes, I just kept crying until there was nothing left to let out.
I finally calmed down and let out a loud puff of air.

I pulled down my mirror and stared at my face.
Red, swollen.
My eyes dropped to my neck and I stared at it for a while.
Right above my pendant, sat a pretty, dainty-looking diamond necklace. It was so beautiful.
It wasn't a large or extravagant piece but it looked perfect, a perfect blend with the violet pendant that sat beneath it.

I moved it around my fingers as a small smile made its way to my face.
I caught sight of it and it dropped immediately.

I slammed my mirror shut and started the car.
Just before I moved, my phone rang.

Dylan.
I cleared my throat before picking up, an attempt to mask my feelings.

“Hey” I said, my voice clear.

“Renée,” he said my full name, making me alert.

“What's wrong?” I asked and he sighed.

“We found Stella” he said and I let out a breath of relief, but something about the tone of his voice was still odd.

“Oh, thank godde-”

“She's dead, Renée.” he said, cutting me off.

I gasped, my hand slapping over my mouth.

“What?!” I whispered, breathlessly.

“I think you should come back home. Alex… he's not admitting it but he needs you” he said and I let out a shocked breath.

“Right. I'm on my way” I said, before the call ended.

Stella…
She's dead?
What?!

I sat in shock for a minute before forcing myself to snap out of it.
I needed to get home.

I immediately made my way home with a speed I probably shouldn't have been on.

An ambulance and police cars filled our parking lot. My heart was beating wildly in its cage.
It felt so unreal.

I followed the chaos around the building, trying to trace the source.
Just as I rounded the corner, I caught sight of Alex.

He was hunched over in a corner with Dylan hovering over him.
I ran to them.

“Alex” I said as soon as I got there, immediately bending in front of him.
His eyes were red and he looked like he was completely shattered.
My heartbeat quickened as I held his hands.

He stared at me for a second before pulling me into a hug. I rubbed my hands on his back soothingly.
I could feel his entire body shake as he buried his head in the crook of my neck and it scared me to the core. This was the most vulnerable I had ever seen him.
Thankfully, no one was paying attention. He would hate that.

I looked up at Dylan, who looked pretty bad himself.
Red eyes, frantic eyes.

He shook his head sadly.
She really was dead.
I couldn't believe it.
My head dropped as tears streamed down my face.
We weren't close like friends but we almost were, as ‘enemies’.
As much as she hated me, I wouldn't say I felt the same way.
Either way, I felt something break inside me at the alarming news.

“You should get him inside. I'll be in soon. I need to handle things here” he said and I nodded as I looked towards the scene of the incident.

“No. Don't. It's… bad” he said and I looked back at him, before I shut my eyes in pain.
What the hell happened to her?
Okay, Renée. Focus.

I pulled Alex back. I could tell he was on the brink of breaking down.

“Hey. It's okay, love. You're going to be fine. Come on, let's go inside” I said, soothing him as I helped him up and led him inside.
He didn't say a single word till we got inside.

As soon as we sat on the bed, I hugged him again.
“It's okay, Alex. You can cry. Don't hold it back” I said and he listened.

I had seen him cry before.
But for the very first time, I watched him sob, scream, and completely unravel.

Tears kept pouring down my face as I held him close.

“It's okay, love. It's okay” I kept saying it repeatedly.
Goddess knows nothing I said at that moment could ease the pain he felt. He was the closest to her and he was probably beating himself up for this.

When he finally calmed down, I helped him lay down on the bed. He needed to rest but his mind was so plagued with thoughts, memories.
I could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

“Let me help you” I suddenly said and he looked at me, his movements weak.

“Let me help you sleep,” I said as I glanced at my hands.

He stared at me for a second before nodding.
“Please” he whispered.

I nodded, before closing my eyes, taking a deep breath and focusing on the spell in mind.

I placed my hands over his and I felt the familiar build up of energy and then, boom.

I slowly opened my eyes to a sleeping Alex and I sighed in relief.
It was a temporary solution but he'd at least get some rest and that put me at ease for the moment.

I wiped my tears and kissed his forehead, before I stepped out of the room, in a bid to find Dylan.

I was almost out of the quarters when I met him. He was on his way to me.

“Dylan,” I said softly.
He sighed.

“How is he doing?” he asked, glancing at my back.

I sighed.
“Sleeping” I said and he nodded.

I studied his expression.
Half worried, half broken.
His eyes were red and puffy, like he had been crying too.
He was close to her too.
Not as much, but close nonetheless.

“Are you okay?” I asked and he shook his head.

“No, which is why I can imagine how he feels,” he explained and I nodded.

“I'm so sorry” I said and he nodded.

“Yeah, thanks”

“Could you tell me what happened?” I asked and he sighed, running a frustrated hand across his face.

“Let's go to Alex's study. We can't talk out here” he said and I agreed, leading the way there.

We walked in silence, in our own heads full of thoughts.

When we finally got there, we entered and settled in.

“She was murdered” Dylan said immediately as he sat on the couch, a tired grunt escaping him.

My worst fear.
Fuck.

“Do we know who?” I asked and he shook his head.

“But we should soon. They found DNA under her fingernails, which shows clear struggle. They'll run an analysis and figure it all out” he explained.

“Who found- where was she found?” I asked.

“A worker found her. We have a water well in the back. It's barely ever used, it was majorly used a long time ago, during the times of our ancestors but now, with technology, not anymore. And there's this superstition that the water has healing properties. Anyway, this worker wanted to specifically get water from the well for her sick son. That was when she found her” he explained.

My chest ached.

“What the- Someone threw her into the well?”

He nodded.

“But it was confirmed that it was post death. The cause of death is a gash to the head. They're still trying to identify the weapon. But whoever it was threw her body in there to get rid of evidence because they knew the well wasn't in use” he sighed.

“She was right under our noses Renée. The worst part, she had been there for roughly two weeks” he said, rubbing his hand over his face, while sniffing back tears.

I sighed and slumped into my chair.

“Who would do something so evil?” I said, not particularly asking.

He shook his head.

“I don't know,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “but I'm going to find them, and I'm going to make them pay” he said and I shook my head.

“No. We are going to make them pay.” I said and he nodded softly.

“I should go” he said, getting on his feet and I nodded, following suit.

“Take care of him, yeah?” He said and I nodded, reaching over to hug him.

“Take care of yourself as well, Dylan. Call Emma” I said as I pulled back.

“I already did” he said and I smiled sadly, watching as he walked out of the study.

I slumped on the chair again.
This whole thing was absolutely nuts.
Stella was murdered.
By who?
The first suspect would have been Bryan. Maybe he still had people o
utside holding the reins for him, but then, it didn't add up. There was no reason for him to have her killed.
She technically helped him.
It couldn't have been him.

Then, who could it have been?.