Chapter 328

ARIA POV

Aria blinked, her vision blurry as she slowly emerged from the depths of unconsciousness. The sterile scent of the hospital assaulted her senses, mingling with the faint hum of machinery and the soft murmurs of distant voices. She groaned softly, her head pounding with the dull ache of a headache yet to come.

As her vision cleared, she saw Lucas sitting beside her hospital bed, his expression a mix of relief and concern.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," he said softly, a relieved smile spreading across his face as he reached out to take her hand. "You had us all worried there for a minute."

Aria struggled to sit up, her muscles protesting with every movement. "Lucas?" she murmured, her voice hoarse with disuse. "What... what happened?"

Lucas's eyes lit up with excitement, his relief palpable. "You were in a fire," he explained, his voice tinged with urgency. "But you're safe now. You're in the hospital."

Aria's brow furrowed in confusion as she struggled to piece together the fragments of memory that danced just beyond her grasp. "The fire..." she murmured, her voice trailing off as she tried to remember. "It's all... a blur."

Lucas's expression darkened, a furrow forming between his brows. "Do you remember anything?" he pressed, his voice gentle but insistent. "Anything at all?"

Aria shook her head, frustration mounting within her chest. "I don't know," she confessed, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "I remember... someone dragging me... to a strange house."

Lucas's eyes narrowed with concern, his grip tightening on her hand. "What happened in the house?" he asked, his voice urgent.

But Aria shook her head, her memory hazy and indistinct. "I don't know," she repeated, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's all... a blur."

Lucas's jaw tightened, his expression troubled. "Aria, I need you to try and remember," he insisted, his voice low and urgent. "It's important."

Aria felt a surge of panic rising within her chest, the weight of Lucas's words pressing down on her like a leaden weight. "I'm trying," she protested, her voice trembling with fear. "But I can't... I can't remember."

Lucas's gaze softened, a look of sympathy crossing his features. "It's okay," he murmured, his voice gentle. "We'll figure it out together."

Aria's heart ached at his words, a swell of gratitude welling up within her chest. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

But before she could say anything else, Lucas's expression darkened, his voice tense with urgency. "Aria, there's something else," he began, his tone grave. "They've arrested Timothy."

Aria's eyes widened in shock, her heart skipping a beat at the news. "Arrested?" she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief. "But... but why?"

Lucas hesitated, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. "They found him with a gun," he explained, his voice low and grim. "A gun that belonged to Evie's mother."

Aria felt a surge of confusion rising within her, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place with sickening clarity. "But Timothy would never..." she began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words.

Lucas's expression softened, a look of understanding crossing his features. "I know," he murmured, his voice gentle. "But the evidence is against him."

Aria's mind raced with possibilities, her thoughts swirling with doubts and fears. "Something's not right," she muttered, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "There's something wrong with Mia."

"What do you mean, there's something wrong with Mia?" Lucas asked.

Aria hesitated, her mind racing as she tried to find the right words to explain the unease that had been gnawing at her ever since the events of the previous night. "Evie always seemed uncomfortable around Mia," she said finally, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "And after hanging out with her myself, I can see why."

Lucas frowned, his brow furrowing with confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Aria took a deep breath, the memories of her time spent with Mia flooding back to her in a rush of conflicting emotions. "There's just something... off about her," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't quite put my finger on it, but... she just doesn't seem right."

Lucas's expression darkened with concern as he listened to Aria's words, the weight of their shared unease settling heavily on his shoulders. "Do you think she had something to do with the fire?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Aria shook her head, her mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice tinged with frustration. "But something tells me she's not as innocent as she seems."

Before she could say anything else, police officers filed into her hospital room, their uniforms crisp and authoritative. She felt a surge of anxiety knotting in her stomach as they approached her bedside, their expressions a mix of relief and determination.

"Miss Aria," one of the officers began, his voice laced with forced cheerfulness, "we're pleased to see that you're awake. We need to ask you some questions about what happened the night of the fire."

Aria's heart pounded in her chest as she exchanged a worried glance with Lucas, who stood beside her with a furrowed brow. "Can't this wait?" he demanded, his voice sharp with frustration. "She's just woken up. She needs time to recover."

But Aria shook her head, her resolve firm. "I want to help," she insisted, her voice trembling with determination. "I need to clear Timothy's name."

Lucas's jaw tightened, his gaze searching hers for any sign of doubt. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.

Aria nodded, her eyes shining with determination. "I'm sure," she declared, her voice steady despite the fear churning in her gut.

As Lucas reluctantly stepped aside, the officers turned their attention back to Aria, their expressions expectant. "Tell us what you remember," one of them prompted, his voice gentle but insistent.

Aria swallowed hard, her mind racing as she struggled to recall the events of that fateful night. "I... I remember being dragged to a strange house," she began, her voice trembling with uncertainty. "There was a figure dressed in black... they had a gun."

The officers exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions grim. "Did you see who it was?" one of them pressed, his voice low and urgent.

Aria shook her head, frustration mounting within her chest. "No," she confessed, her voice tinged with regret. "Everything was... a blur."

The officers exchanged another glance, their suspicion mounting with each passing moment. "We have reason to believe that Timothy and his brother, Andy, were involved in the fire," one of them declared, his voice heavy with accusation.

Aria's eyes widened in shock, her heart pounding in her chest. "That's not true," she protested, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Timothy would never..."

But the officers cut her off with a dismissive wave of their hand, their minds already made up. "We'll be keeping a close eye on them," one of them declared, his voice leaving no room for argument. "If they're innocent, they have nothing to worry about."

As the officers left the room, Aria felt a surge of frustration rising within her, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down on her like a leaden weight. "This isn't right," she muttered, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "There's something they're not telling us."

Lucas's expression darkened, a look of determination crossing his features. "We'll figure it out," he declared, his voice tinged with resolve. "We'll find the truth, no matter what it takes."

But Aria couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the pit of her stomach. Timothy's future hung in the balance, his fate uncertain. And if they didn't act fast, he could end up locked away for a crime he didn't commit.

"We need to do something," she insisted, her voice tinged with urgency. "Or Timothy could end up locked away forever."