The letter lay on the table, like a coiled snake ready to strike. No one dared touch it again. The candlelight fell on it and made the words come alive.
Dorella was the first to break the silence. "We have to admit something… We didn't fully know Leo. Maybe he had a side he kept hidden from all of us. No one is all laughter, kindness, and parties."
Gabriel jumped, as if he had been electrocuted. "No! My brother wasn't like that! He may have made mistakes, but… but he always told me the truth. He wouldn't hide it from me!"
Or would he? The thought crept into his mind, unwanted. I was so blinded by the need to see him as a saint that I didn't notice? That I didn't notice the self he was hiding? What if he was suffering and didn't tell anyone?
Lily spoke in a low voice, which broke the tension. "Gabriel... sometimes we hide things to protect those we love. It doesn't mean they're betraying us. It means they're afraid. Most of all, they don't want to lose us."
Gabriel looked at her, and she didn't look down. She felt a strange comfort.
"For once, I'm going to agree with my sister," Peter said a little playfully, then looked at Dorella. "Sometimes people have so many things well hidden inside that even they forget they're there, until they hit them back."
He paused, then added, with that grin that was so grating on Gabriel's nerves: "I imagine, my friend, that it hurts you more to think that Leo suffered alone than to talk to Ellie about his suffering. It's hard to accept that those you love may not have been so honest."
Gabriel jumped again. His eyes were shining. "Peter! This is no time for games!"
Dorella stood up, approached Gabriel, and placed her hand lightly on his arm. "Calm down. Peter didn't lie. Maybe he said it clumsily, but... maybe he's right."
Her touch made him stop, as if frozen. He felt his anger fade, but in its place a more confused storm was born: desire, guilt, weakness.
Peter looked at them silently for a moment. I didn't want to hurt him, he thought. But if we don't shake him, he'll stay immersed in his sadness. And this Dorella… he looks at her as if she were his only harbor. This could be saving or devastating. But they'd be a perfect couple, he thought then and smiled at that image.
Lily stood up, taking the letter in her hands. "We won't get anywhere with words alone. Action is needed. We need to talk to Ellie."
"What if the letter is a trap?" Dorella asked. "What if someone put it in the jacket to mislead us?"
This thought made the four of them look at each other again in disbelief. The mansion suddenly seemed darker, more hostile.
Gabriel took a deep breath. "We're calling Ellie tomorrow morning. All of us. And we're keeping a close eye on Felicia. If this letter is real, Felicia knows it. If it's a trap… then maybe it's her doing."
Dorella tilted her head slightly, looking at him. She's starting to change. Not only does she hurt for Leo, but she wants him to find the truth. And I… I want to stand by him, no matter what. All three of them.
The fire in the fireplace crackled, as if in agreement. And the night outside seemed to be waiting for their next move.