The crescent moon bathed the mansion's garden in silver light. The four friends had retired to the living room, but no one spoke. The fire in the fireplace crackled slowly, and the shadows played on the walls like ghosts.
The four suspects had fallen asleep at the edges of the living room and the only noise was the burning wood.
Gabriel was sitting in an armchair, his gaze lost in the flame. Leo… why you? he thought. You were always the strong one, the calm one. The one who saved me when everything collapsed. And I couldn't protect you. A weight squeezed his chest, like a stone that wouldn't budge.
And then, next to his brother's figure, another image quietly entered: Dorella's smile, her eyes that lit up even the darkest moments. I shouldn't think about it. Not now. Not when he's gone. But... how can I ignore it? Those eyes, which rarely accompany a smile but are beautiful on their own with that wonderful brown, deep but not too dark color, but which when they accompany a smile, even a fake one, make me feel like I'm going to faint.
Dorella, sitting opposite, glanced at Gabriel. She wanted to talk to him, to tell him that she understood, that she was there for him. But the voice inside her held her back. I see him breaking down, and I ache with him. But if I tell him how much I care for him... will it help him, or will it confuse him more? Will it make him love me or hate me? It's all, or, or, or…
She clenched her notebook. No. First we have to find the truth. Everything else can wait. Until the end
Peter, lying half-lazy on the couch, silently observed. But there was no rest in his mind. Gabriel is ready to burn with his anger. Dorella is struggling to contain him along with hers, which is ready to crush her and start going crazy all over again. Lily is keeping the balance. And I… I see what the others deny. If they don't pay attention, they'll be lost before they even find the culprit.
A smile crossed his lips. And of course, I can't ignore the way he looks at Dorella. Nor can she, who avoids seeing it, although she knows it. She knows everything but that's her way, she waits for others to understand how smart she is and that she knows Everything. The moment will come when those looks and actions will speak louder than words.
Lily, with her hands folded in front of her, let her thoughts flow quietly. I love them all like family. But I know that what we're looking for is darker than they imagine. The killer is not a stranger; he's someone who looks us in the eye every day. And that means that the truth, when it comes out, will tear us apart. One by one, each in a different way!
Suddenly, they saw Felicia standing. Her shadow appeared far away on the wall, as if something else, invisible, was following her.
"Aren't you sleeping?" she said coldly. "I can't anyway. My thoughts are haunting me."
Gabriel looked at her silently. Dorella leaned forward a little. "What thoughts?"
Felicia sighed dramatically. "Thoughts about Leo… and who wanted him dead. It seems strange to me that you're all focusing on the servants. I'd look closer… at Aunt Petunia. Or even Lily. Isn't it strange that she always seems so calm?"
Lily looked at her quietly. She didn't react, but she thought to herself: Is she trying to target me? Seriously? I've been with them all day and night. But the truth isn't afraid of the shadow. It's the one that trembles in the light.
Dorella gritted her teeth. "Those are baseless assumptions, Felicia."
"Maybe," she said, with a cold smile. "Maybe not."
When he was gone, the silence fell heavily. Gabriel felt his mind buzzing. He was casting suspicion everywhere but her. It was obvious… And yet, why do I feel like we haven't had enough yet?
He closed his eyes for a moment. And between Felicia's face and Leo's smile, Dorella's form appeared again. Everything was mixing inside him, a maze of emotions and unanswered questions. Stop! It's not doing you any good. Stop thinking about her!
And yet, he might not know it yet, but thinking about her was doing him more good than he thought.