Chapter 353

Jet lag was a cruel mistress, clinging to my bones as Timothy and I stumbled through the threshold of my apartment. Heaving a sigh of relief, I allowed Timothy to relieve me of the burdensome weight of my luggage, feeling every ounce of exhaustion weighing me down.

"Thanks, Tim," I murmured, my voice barely audible even to my own ears.

"Anytime," Timothy replied. With a gentle pat on my shoulder, he gestured towards the interior of my apartment, silently urging me forward.

I mustered what little energy remained within me to take a step forward, only to be met with an unexpected sight. Aria and Lucas, stood before us, their expressions a mixture of concern and anticipation.

"Evie, you're finally back!" Aria exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. "We've been waiting for you."

Lucas nodded in agreement, his features contorted into a mask of worry. "We need to talk," he added, his tone brooking no argument.

"I promise I’ll explain everything," I said exasperatedly, my patience wearing thin. "I just got back, and I'm about ready to collapse. Give me a moment to catch my breath."

Aria exchanged a meaningful glance with Lucas before stepping aside, allowing me passage into my own home. "Fine," she conceded, though her tone betrayed her reluctance. "But we're not leaving until you spill all the details."

I clenched my jaw, biting back the retort that threatened to escape. With a resigned sigh, I trudged towards my bedroom. Timothy lingered in the doorway for a moment longer, his eyes studying me.

“Did you need anything else from me?” he asked softly.

I quirked an eyebrow. “Wine. Lots of wine.”

With a quick nod, he exited the doorway. I listened as his footsteps faded in the distance,

Alone at last, I allowed myself a moment of respite, sinking onto the edge of my bed with a weary sigh. The events of the past few days replayed in my mind like a broken record, each moment etched into my memory with painful clarity. How was I supposed to explain it all to Aria and Lucas? How could I possibly put into words the whirlwind of emotions that had consumed me since I first set foot on foreign soil?

As if on cue, Aria and Lucas appeared in the doorway, their presence a stark reminder of the task that lay before me. "So," Aria began, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife, "are you going to tell us what happened or are we going to have to drag it out of you?"

I shot her a withering glare, knowing they’d never cave after I’d gone MIA for several hours. "I will," I said with a sigh. "I just got back, and I need a moment to process everything before I spill my guts to the whole world."

Aria sulked. "Evie," she muttered, her tone bordering on petulant. "We've been worried sick about you, you know. After you visited me at the hospital, I didn’t expect you to fly out and stop a serial killer in her tracks!"

I sighed. "I know," I murmured, my voice barely audible. "But it needed to be done. It would have complicated things if we brought you guys along. It was already difficult with just me, Timothy, and his brother."

With a reluctant nod, Aria and Lucas retreated from the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Soon enough, Timothy returned with a bottle of deep red wine. With a solemn nod, he motioned for everyone to take a seat in the living room, his expression betraying nothing, even as he popped the cork.

Aria wasted no time in fetching glasses, her movements brisk and efficient as she distributed them amongst us with a forced smile. I watched her with a mixture of gratitude and trepidation, knowing that once I spoke the words that had been festering within me, there would be no turning back.

As the rich aroma of wine filled the room, I took a sip, allowing the warmth to spread through me like a comforting embrace. But even as the liquid slid down my throat, its sweetness tainted by the bitter taste of truth that threatened to spill from my lips.

"I suppose there's no easy way to say this," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "But... my mother was really killing all of those men."

Aria's eyes widened in shock, her hand frozen midway to her lips as she processed my words. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Your mother is... a serial killer?"

I nodded, my throat constricting with each passing moment. "She's the 'Black Widow,'" I admitted, the words tasting like ashes on my tongue. "She... she marries rich men and then... she kills them for their money."

The room fell silent, the weight of my confession hanging between us like a heavy shroud. I could feel the weight of their stares, their disbelief palpable in the air as they struggled to comprehend the truth of my words.

"You know," Aria began, her words slightly slurred, "I knew something was off the other day when Mia barged into the apartment like she owned the place. It was like she was looking for something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it."

The confession hung in the air, a revelation that sent a shiver down my spine. Aria's words sparked a memory, faint and elusive, of a time not so long ago when Mia's behavior had already raised alarm bells in my mind.

"She’d done that before," I murmured, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to slot into place. "And... didn't she invite you over to her house not long after that?"

Aria nodded, her expression clouded with uncertainty. "Yeah," she admitted, her voice tinged with unease. "But... I don't remember much after that. It's all kind of hazy. I think... I think I might have blacked out, or maybe... maybe she hit me in the head with something."

The revelation sent shockwaves rippling through the room. Lucas reached out to grasp her hand, his expression filled with concern.

Aria nodded, though her smile faltered slightly at the edges. "I'm fine now. Really," she insisted, though the strain in her voice was evident. "It's just... it's all starting to make sense now."

Timothy's brow furrowed in confusion, his gaze darting between us as he struggled to piece together the fragments of our conversation. "What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. "Mia had a secret room," I confessed, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "That’s how we found out she was planning something with your father."

Aria's gaze fell to the empty glass in her hands. "I’m glad we found out when we did," she whispered, her voice barely audible above the rush of blood in my ears. "She... she was going to do something in Costa Rica, wasn't she?"

I nodded. "She was going to marry Kamran and kill him after, but I gave the police some photos for evidence," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "Photos of my mother’s secret room.”

"So they have all the evidence?" Lucas interjected, his voice breaking through the silence like a crack of thunder. "What's going to happen to her now that she's been caught?"

I shook my head, my mind spinning with the implications of Mia's actions. "I don't know," I admitted, my voice barely audible above the rush of blood in my ears. "But... I'm nervous. I'm scared of what might happen to her."

Timothy's hand found mine, his touch a comforting anchor amidst the storm of emotions raging within me. "We'll figure it out," he assured me, his voice filled with determination. "I'll speak with my lawyer once she’s back overseas. I have a feeling that this might just turn the case around in my favor."

His words offered a glimmer of hope. With a shaky breath, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for his redemption.

Lucas, ever the beacon of levity in times of turmoil, cleared his throat, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "Well, I suppose there's only one thing left to do," he declared, his voice ringing with determination. "A toast, to Timothy's freedom!"

With a hesitant smile, I raised my glass, the liquid within it swirling temptingly. "To freedom," I echoed, the word tasting sweeter than it had in years.

And as we clinked our glasses together in a silent salute to the future, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was hope yet for us all.