Mark and I sat down for dinner, both of us picking at our food instead of eating it. Every minute that passed without hearing from Courtney made my stomach twist tighter.
"I'll call her after we eat," I said, trying to stay calm for both of us.
Mark glanced at the clock. Tonight was the night he was supposed to go to his grandparents' house. He didn't want to leave me alone.
"Maybe I should tell them I'm sick and stay," he said.
I shook my head. "I'll be fine, Mark. Really."
After dinner, I called Courtney's phone.
Straight to voicemail.
"She didn't answer," I said, trying not to panic. "I'll try again later."
Mark grabbed his backpack and sighed. "If anything happens, call me. Please."
"I will."
He walked out the door, leaving me standing in the quiet house, trying not to feel completely alone.
---
I took a deep breath.
I knew what I needed to do.
I needed to find the box my mom hid under her bed — the one she always said held everything about my dad and his accident. She once told me I'd get it when I was older, but if something ever felt wrong, I could ask for it earlier.
Well…
everything felt wrong now.
With Courtney missing, Matt and Beth gone, and Arron kidnapped, I needed answers.
I got dressed and started the fifteen-minute walk to my house.
When I reached the front door, the lights were on. I thought nobody would be home.
But there she was.
Aunt Kim.
She turned around, smiling too brightly. "Kaitlyn? What are you doing here? Your mom said you were on vacation."
My stomach dropped. I hated Kim. She had tried killing me last year just because I reminded her of my dad.
I forced a smile. "Yeah… I got back early. Just had to grab something before heading out again."
"Oh, okay," she said cheerfully and turned back to the TV.
I slipped down the hallway to my mom and John's room. I tore through the drawers, checked under the bed, behind the dresser — nothing.
Then something shifted.
In the closet.
I opened the door.
And something fell from the top shelf — hitting me hard in the head.
The box.
I grabbed it, ran to my old room, stuffed it into my backpack, and got out of the house as fast as I could.
---
Across town, Steve kept calling Courtney, but every call went unanswered. Finally, he drove straight to her house.
By the time he pulled up, I was walking toward the door with my backpack.
"Hey, Kaitlyn," Steve said. "Is Courtney home?"
I froze.
I didn't want him to send me away.
I didn't want to be kept from the truth.
"If I tell you the truth," I whispered, "you'll make me leave."
He stared at me in shock. Then he unlocked the door.
"Go inside. Tell me everything you know."
---
Meanwhile, in the dark, blood-stained room…
Jennifer blinked awake.
Arron leaned forward in his chair, ropes cutting into his wrists. "Jennifer. Jennifer, wake up."
She jolted, looked around, and started breathing fast. "What—where am I? I'm not supposed to be here. I helped them! I helped them!"
Courtney stared at her. "What are you talking about?"
Jose coughed weakly. "I helped too… and look at me. I'm dying."
Jennifer's eyes filled with tears.
"Ron and Ashley… they wanted you all to pay for ruining their lives," she whispered. "They paid me one million dollars to make sure Arron got kidnapped and stayed far away from you, Courtney."
Courtney's face broke.
Jennifer kept talking, her voice shaking.
"So I called Eric and Jose… gave them half the money to take Arron. I had Arron moved two states away. Then I got the call that John was picking him up… and before I knew it, you were delivered here too."
Jennifer swallowed hard as tears spilled down her face.
"I helped John put you in the car after he knocked you out, Arron. I thought… I thought I'd be safe. I thought I'd get my part of the deal."
She shook her head, sobbing.
"But now I see—I was never safe. I was never part of the plan. And now… I'm next."
The room went silent as the truth settled over all of them.
And for the first time, the darkness felt alive.