Chapter 5
Joanna locked the door and propped a chair against it.
"Emily, something's not right. The Carter Family is acting so desperate. They're definitely covering up something big," Joanna said.
Lily leaned against the headboard, hugging the music box tightly, her gaze never leaving the note. I sat down beside her.
"Lily, who brought you into the mountains three years ago?" I asked.
She picked up the pen, her grip awkward and shaky.
Her fingers still bore old wounds, and after writing just two words, she had to stop and take a breath.
She wrote: Dad.
Joanna swore under her breath.
I stared at those two words, and Andrew's controlled expression from the video call flashed through my mind.
"Take your time, Lily. I'll read every word you write," I said gently.
Lily wrote: No.
She crossed it out with force.
Then she wrote: Someone who looks like Dad.
"Someone who looks like Dad?" I asked.
She nodded.
"Did he look like Dad, or did he sound like him?" I asked.
Lily thought for a long time, then wrote: Scent.
I was stunned. Andrew always wore an agarwood fragrance I had blended just for him. It wasn't available anywhere else. Only he and our family ever had it.
Joanna lowered her voice.
"Could it be the family driver?" she whispered.
I shook my head.
"Let's not jump to conclusions," I said.
There was a knock at the door.
"Emily, it's me," a voice called out.
It was my stepsister, Rachel Bennett.
She walked in with a basket of fruit, dressed demurely and elegantly.
"I heard you were in the hospital, so I came to check on you," she said.
Joanna's face darkened.
"Who told you that?" Joanna demanded.
Rachel smiled.
"Andrew called me and said you were upset, so he asked me to come and talk to you," she said.
I looked at her.
"You were at the Carter Family's house the day of Sophie's accident three years ago," I said.
Rachel set the fruit down on the table.
"Yeah, it was a total mess that day. I was scared out of my mind," she said.
"Do you remember what Sophie was wearing that day?" I asked.
"Honestly, I don't remember. Who remembers details like that after three years?" Rachel replied.
I took out the button.
"What about this?" I asked.
Rachel's gaze paused on the button for a split second before she quickly averted her eyes.
"Looks like just a button from some kid's clothes," she said, brushing it off.
Lily suddenly shrank back behind me.
I held her hand.
I asked Lily, "Do you know her?"
Lily kept shaking her head, refusing to even look at Rachel.
Rachel let out a sigh.
"Emily, she's a traumatized kid. You can't take her reactions too seriously. Don't let her turn your life upside down," Rachel said.
"My life's been a mess since the day she came into it," I replied.
"But what about Sophie? She's called you Mom since she was little. Are you really okay with people talking about her like that?" Rachel pressed.
I looked at her.
"How do you know she's not my child?" I asked.
Rachel's smile faded a bit.
"Of course I want her to be. But Emily, don't forget. It was Andrew who brought Sophie back all those years ago. Questioning Sophie means you're questioning Andrew, too," she said.
Joanna crossed her arms.
"She hasn't even brought up Andrew yet, and you're already rushing to defend him," Joanna said.
Rachel gave her a sharp look.
"I'm just worried for Emily," she replied.
She reached out, aiming to pat Lily on the head.
Suddenly, Lily shot her hand out and knocked the fruit knife onto the floor.
The blade slid along the edge of the bed and clattered against the wall in the corner.
Rachel let out a startled scream.
"What is she doing? She wants to hurt me!" Rachel cried out.
People started gathering outside the hospital room again.
"That kid is really scary," someone muttered.
"She came to visit out of kindness, and ended up getting hurt," another person chimed in.
Rachel clutched her wrist, tears falling fast.
"Emily, I know you're sticking up for her, but I'm your sister too! She went at me with a knife. Can't you see that?" Rachel sobbed.
I picked up the fruit knife.
There was a clear liquid on the tip of the knife, and it reeked of something sharp and chemical.
Joanna's expression turned grim.
"What did you smear on this knife?" Joanna demanded.
Rachel's face flickered with panic.
"It's just water. What else would be on a fruit knife?" she said, trying to sound casual.
I handed the knife to the doctor on duty.
"Please hold onto this as evidence," I said.
Rachel panicked, her voice shrill.
"Emily, you'd rather trust a mute than your own sister?" she cried.
The moment Lily heard "mute," she snatched the water cup from the bedside and hurled it at Rachel.
The cup missed and shattered on the floor.
A sharp, strangled hiss escaped Lily's throat, and she looked just like a cornered cat.
I pulled her into my arms.
"Don't be afraid. She's leaving," I whispered to Lily.
Rachel's face darkened.
"Emily, you'll regret this," Rachel said.
"The only one who should regret it is the person who actually laid a hand on someone," I shot back.
Rachel walked to the door, then looked back at Lily.
There was nothing gentle in her gaze, only disgust.
Suddenly, Lily traced a word in my palm.
Lily traced the word "Rachel" in my palm.
I looked up.
Rachel was already gone.
Joanna closed the door.
"Emily, is your sister getting mixed up in this too?" Joanna asked.
I looked down at Lily.
She kept writing, her hand trembling badly.
Fire. Rachel was behind it.
My mind exploded into chaos. My phone rang. It was Andrew. I answered, and his voice was even colder than yesterday.
"Emily, Rachel went to see you, and that kid hurt her?" Andrew asked.
"You're quick to hear about things," I replied.
"She called me, crying. You're keeping a kid who lashes out in the hospital and not letting the family see her. How much drama are you trying to stir up?" Andrew demanded.
I looked at Lily, curled up in a ball on the bed.
"Andrew, was Rachel there during the fire three years ago?" I asked.
There was a scraping sound from the other end of the line.
"Who told you that?" Andrew asked.
"Just answer me first," I insisted.
He was silent for a moment.
"Emily, don't go anywhere until the test results come out tomorrow. I'm flying back right now," Andrew said.
"So what is it, Andrew? Are you coming back to explain, or to silence us for good?" I shot back.
"Don't say things like that," Andrew snapped.
"Then tell me, why is Lily so terrified of Rachel?" I pressed.
Andrew's voice dropped to a low, tense whisper.
"Emily, things aren't what you think they are," he said.
"Then what are they?" I pressed.
"Just wait until I get back," he said.
The call ended.
Lily looked at me and slowly shook her head.
She wrote on the paper: Don't trust him.