Chapter 280

The air around me felt stifling, suffocating, as Bette's words reverberated through my mind like a relentless echo.

"Timothy has been arrested for the murder of Stella Fitzgerald."

The world spun around me, tilting on its axis as if threatening to swallow me whole. I staggered, my vision blurring, the ground shifting beneath my feet. The weight of the news bore down on me like a crushing force, threatening to shatter my fragile composure.

"I... I can't believe this," I stammered, the words barely escaping my trembling lips as I clung to the edge of consciousness.

Bette's concerned gaze lingered on me, but her expression revealed the limitation of her knowledge. "Evie, I wish I had more information. I truly do. But this is all I know."

Terror gripped my heart, a relentless vice squeezing tighter with each passing moment. I turned to Bette, desperation etched in my voice. "Please, Bette, I need to know what happened. How could this happen?"

Bette's eyes softened with empathy, but she could offer no further solace. "I'll do what I can to find out more. But right now, you need to stay strong."

Before I could gather my thoughts or muster another question, a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me. Aria burst through the backstage, her face lit up with excitement from the successful interview, but the joy faded upon seeing my tear-streaked face.

"Evie, what's wrong?" Aria's voice quivered with concern as she rushed to my side.

I struggled to compose myself, the gravity of the news threatening to drown me in despair. "Timothy... he's been arrested for Stella's murder," I whispered, the words heavy with anguish.

Aria's eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth in disbelief. "Oh, Evie, I had no idea you knew. I didn't mean to—"

Her words trailed off as I shook my head, my voice trembling with anguish. "I just found out. I didn't know."

The weight of the revelation bore down on us, a suffocating silence enveloping the space. My mind raced, desperately attempting to grasp the reality of the situation, praying it was all a terrible mistake.

In a surge of hope mingled with desperation, I fumbled for my phone, my trembling fingers dialing Timothy's number once more. Each ring felt like an eternity, my heart pounding in rhythm with the unanswered calls. But once again, the call went straight to voicemail.

"Timothy, please," I pleaded into the phone, my voice cracking with emotion. But there was no response, only the hollow echo of my own despair.

Aria placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, her own distress mirroring mine. "Evie, we'll find out what's going on. We'll get to the bottom of this."

The world felt surreal, as if I'd been thrust into a nightmare from which I couldn't awaken. The unanswered questions, the inexplicable accusations against Timothy—they echoed in the hollow chambers of my mind, demanding resolution.

But amidst the chaos, a wave of realization crashed over me—Timothy's absence, the unanswered calls, and now, the accusations against him. The pieces of a puzzle I couldn't comprehend fell into place, painting a picture of horror I dared not confront.

"No, this can't be happening," I murmured, tears streaming down my cheeks unchecked.

The world around me seemed to blur into an incomprehensible haze once more. My legs buckled, the room spun, and I felt myself slipping away.

"Evie, you need to sit down," Aria urged, concern etched on her face as she and Bette guided me to a nearby room.

I could barely register their voices, my mind consumed by the image of Timothy being led away and hauled into a police car. The taste of bitter tears mingled with the metallic tang of blood as I bit the inside of my cheek.

Water was pressed into my trembling hands, but I pushed it away with a frantic urgency. "I need to see him," I croaked, my voice barely audible amidst the turmoil within.

Bette and Aria exchanged worried glances. "Evie, you're in no condition to go anywhere right now," Bette urged gently, trying to reason with me.

But I refused to relent. "I need to see him! I can't just sit here!"

Aria's voice quivered with concern as she offered another solution. "Evie, let me take you home. You need rest. We'll figure this out together, I promise."

My heart clenched at the thought of leaving without seeing Timothy, the urgency to be by his side overriding any semblance of reason. "No! I can't go home! I need to see Timothy!" I cried out, my voice growing hoarse.

The feeling of helplessness was unbearable. Every fiber of my being screamed for answers, for a chance to see Timothy, to understand how such a horrendous accusation could be leveled against him.

"I'm not leaving without seeing him," I insisted. "I need to be there for him. He’s probably feeling scared and alone…"

Tears streamed down my cheeks, my heart aching with a piercing sense of longing and dread. The world seemed cruel and unjust, and the thought of being away from Timothy in this critical moment was unbearable.

Aria reached out, her touch gentle yet determined. "Evie, there’s no guarantee that we may be able to see him, though.”

“I don’t care!” I spat, clinging desperately to her arm. “I want to try. I want to at least see him.”

“I promise we'll find out what's happening,” she said once more, stroking my hair. She took out her phone and began strolling through social media. There was a flash of Timothy’s face on the screen before she quickly turned the phone away.

Bette rejoined us, her expression a mix of concern and determination. "I'm making some calls, trying to get more information. Evie, stay strong."

“Oh, god.” Aria cupped a hand over her mouth, her eyes trained onto the screen. I leaned toward her, wanting to get a better view, but she moved away. “No, Evie, you shouldn’t see.”

“Aria,” I pleaded. “Please!”

My world was crumbling enough. Fortunately, Aria, with a solemn expression sighed nd relented.

"Don’t say I didn’t warn you," her voice trembled with empathy as she tapped on the screen with shaking hands.

I braced myself for the worst, steeling my resolve to confront the unfolding nightmare. As the screen flickered to life, the news coverage of Timothy's arrest played out before my eyes. My tears burred the images as I witnessed the sight that shattered my heart into a million pieces.

They shoved Timothy into a police car, his face contorted with anguish and confusion. His hands were restrained behind his back, a stark contrast to the man I knew—the man I loved. The sight of him, unfairly branded as a criminal, shattered whatever remained of my fragile composure.

"No, no, this can't be happening," I choked on my words, my voice a broken whisper as I watched the scene unfold before me.

Aria's grip on my hand tightened, her own eyes brimming with tears. "Evie, we have to go see him. We need to know what's going on."

The need to reach Timothy, to see him, to assure myself that he was okay overwhelmed every other thought. "Yes, we have to go. Now!" I exclaimed, desperation lacing my words.

Aria nodded in agreement, her voice steady despite the turmoil. "I'll drive us. We'll find out the truth."

With a sense of urgency, Aria guided me out of the building, her arm around my shoulder offering support as my legs felt like jelly beneath me. Hysterical sobs wracked my body, the weight of the devastating revelation threatening to crush me entirely.