Chapter 337

As I stood in the dimly lit living room, the weight of Andy's words bore down on me like a leaden cloak. The air felt charged with tension, crackling with unspoken accusations and unanswered questions. Andy's face was drawn, his eyes clouded with worry, and the creases on his forehead deepened as he recounted the news he had just given.

"Evie, I don't know what to do," he said, his voice tinged with frustration. "I got a voicemail from my father this morning. He said that he and Mia have decided to elope."

My heart skipped a beat, and I struggled to comprehend the gravity of his words. Eloping…and so soon? It seemed unfathomable. "When did this happen?" I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief.

Andy ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. "I don't know. All he said was that they wanted to push things forward without complications."

I exchanged a glance with Lucas, who came over and stood beside me, his expression mirroring my own disbelief. My mother had never exactly been level-headed, always one to make rash decisions, but this was another level.

Of course, it all felt so perfectly timed. Leaving right as we were catching onto her schemes, and seducing Kamran into agreeing. She really did have him wrapped around her finger, and she’d soon enough have him buried 6 feet under.

Just the thought of that struck me, like a bolt of lightning illuminating the darkness. "She encouraged him to push up the date," I blurted out. “She’s getting antsy.”

Andy furrowed his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before I continued. "You don’t know how desperate my mother can get when she doesn’t get her way. I caught her with my friend’s phone, the one who was in the house they’d burnt down."

Andy blinked wildly. “You’re serious?”

Lucas nodded in agreement, his expression grim. "Yeah. And she tried to get rid of the evidence. Our friend took a bunch of pictures and tried to break the phone before we could see them."

“What?” Andy ran his hands through his hair, then stomped further into the room with a scowl. “Of course. She had us all fooled.”

"I think after our fight earlier," I continued on, digesting his words. "She might have decided to take matters into her own hands, to speed up the process."

Andy's eyes widened in realization, and a look of anger flashed across his face. "So you're saying that your own mother really could be a murderer? That she’ll kill my father soon enough?"

I nodded, my stomach churning with unease. "It's possible. My mom has always been... unpredictable, especially when she feels backed into a corner."

"But what does she gain from all this?" Andy interjected, his voice tinged with frustration. "And how does it tie into Stella's death?"

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. "I think... I think Mia might have had something to do with Stella's death," I said, the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

Andy's eyes widened in shock, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. "What? Why would Mia do something like that?"

I shook my head, my mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know for sure, but... but I think she might have been with you that night, Andy. And if things didn't go according to plan with Timothy, she might have been prepared to frame you for Stella's murder."

Andy's face paled, and he sank into the nearest chair, his hands trembling with emotion. "That's... that's insane. Why would she do something like that?"

I shrugged helplessly, feeling the weight of uncertainty pressing down on me. "I don't know, Andy. Maybe... maybe Stella would have gotten in the way of her plans if she took on the family name instead."

Lucas scoffed, his expression one of disbelief. "So you're saying that Mia would kill an innocent woman just to further her own agenda? That's crazy…and if she kills my father, what then? There will be a connection.”

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of frustration coursing through me. "I know it sounds crazy, Andy, but... but we can't ignore the possibility. We need to consider every angle, especially if we want to find out the truth."

Andy nodded grimly, his jaw set with determination. "You're right. We can't afford to overlook anything, no matter how unlikely it may seem."

As the weight of our conversation settled over us like a heavy shroud, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at the edges of my consciousness. Mia's sudden elopement, coupled with the suspicion surrounding Stella's death, painted a grim picture of betrayal and deceit.

But amidst the chaos and uncertainty, one thing remained clear: we couldn't afford to let our guard down. Not when the stakes were so high, and the truth so elusive. We had to stay vigilant, especially with my mother already several steps ahead of us.

“Although I wonder, “Lucas began, tapping his chin, "Why didn't she just frame it as a suicide? Why use Timothy and Andy?"

Andy's expression darkened, his features contorted with anger. "Because she didn't want Evie’s relationship with Timothy getting in the way," he spat, his voice thick with resentment. "She needed to get him out of the picture too. It’d be a stain on the Hayes’ name if a brother and sister, even if you aren’t blood related, were dating."

A surge of fury welled up within me as the full extent of Mia's manipulation became clear. "She's playing us all for fools," I growled, my fists clenched with frustration.

Lucas's brow furrowed in concern as he surveyed the scene before him. "How are we going to stop her?" he demanded, his voice tinged with urgency.

But Andy's eyes gleamed with determination as he met Lucas's gaze. "I'm already working on getting Timothy reinstated," he confessed, his voice ringing with resolve. "But we need to get to my father before Mia does something drastic."

A sense of urgency gripped me as I realized the gravity of our situation. "How?" I breathed, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

Andy's lips twisted into a grim smile as he reached for his phone, his fingers flying over the screen with practiced ease. "I have a jet," he explained, his voice tinged with urgency. "We can be there in no time."

My heart pounded in my chest as I grappled with Andy's proposal. "But what about the authorities?" I protested, my voice tinged with doubt.

Andy shook his head, his expression grave. "There's no time," he insisted, his voice ringing with conviction. "And besides, they'll just be a hindrance."

A sense of unease settled over me as I weighed the risks against the potential rewards. "Can you watch over Aria and Timothy in the meantime?" I asked, turning to Lucas with a pleading look in my eyes.

Lucas's gaze softened as he met my gaze, his voice gentle with reassurance. "Of course," he promised, his tone firm with conviction.

With a sense of determination, I turned back to Andy, my resolve hardened by the fire burning within me. "Let's go," I declared.

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