CHAPTER 41: KNOW TOO MUCH

Axel was about to leave the room when he heard me exclaim and scream Erica’s name into the phone. He turned back immediately.

"What’s wrong?" he asked.

"I’m not sure," I said, staring at my phone in horror. "Erica just screamed, and then the line went dead. I think something’s wrong."

"Don’t jump to conclusions," Axel said calmly, though I could see the worry creeping into his eyes. "Try calling her again."

I dialled her number frantically. Once, twice, three times. Each time it went straight to voicemail, and my anxiety grew with every unanswered ring.

"She’s not picking up," I said, my voice rising with panic. "Axel, I have to check on her. Something’s definitely wrong."

"Alright," he said. "Let me grab my keys."

The drive to Erica’s apartment felt endless. Even at top speed, it took us nearly half an hour to reach the other side of town. My hands were shaking as I kept trying her number, willing her to answer.

When we finally reached her building, I was out of the car before Axel had even turned off the engine.

"Erica!" I called, running up the stairs to her floor. "Erica, where are you?"

I found her apartment door standing wide open, which immediately sent alarm bells ringing in my head. The inside was ransacked entirely: furniture overturned, papers scattered everywhere, and broken glass on the floor.

And there, in the middle of it all, was Erica, unconscious on the ground.

"Oh my God," I gasped, dropping to my knees beside her.

Axel was already moving while I was still frozen in shock. He knelt down and carefully checked her pulse, then immediately pulled out his phone to call 911.

"This is Axel O’Brien," he said into the phone. "I need an ambulance at 1247 Maple Street, Apartment 3B. We have an unconscious woman who appears to have been assaulted."

Soon we were back at the hospital, the same one I’d just been discharged from hours earlier. The irony wasn’t lost on me.

Erica had regained consciousness by the time the doctors finished examining her. She was bruised and shaken, with a broken arm, but thankfully nothing more serious.

"What happened?" I asked gently as soon as the doctors left us alone.

"I’m not entirely sure," Erica said weakly, wincing as she tried to adjust her position. "Someone broke into my apartment. I didn’t hear the door, I was on the phone when...."

"Did you see who it was?" Axel asked.

"It was dark, and it happened so fast. But..." she paused, looking uncertain.

I felt my blood boil. "I’m sure Cassandra had something to do with this," I said to Axel. "This is too much of a coincidence."

"That’s quite a reach, Layla," Axel replied carefully. "What makes you so certain?"

"The altercation we had in my hospital room," I explained. "She threatened Erica. She said Erica was going to pay for her ’insolence.’"

Axel considered this for a moment. "It’s definitely suspicious timing, but we should wait until Erica is feeling better before making any accusations. She might remember more details."

Deep down, though, I was absolutely certain it was Cassandra. The timing, the threat, everything pointed to her.

We stayed with Erica until visiting hours ended. Axel insisted I needed rest and that I could return to check on her in the morning on my way to work.

The drive home was quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts. But as we walked through the front door, the memory of our kiss came flooding back, making the air between us thick with unspoken tension.

I glanced at Axel, saw him looking back at me with those intense eyes, and practically bolted to my room before he could say anything.

The next morning, I prepared for work as usual, trying to push the previous night’s events from my mind. When I came downstairs, Axel was having breakfast at the kitchen table.

The sight of him made my stomach flutter with nerves as flashbacks of our kiss returned in vivid detail. I immediately lost any appetite I might have had.

"Come have something to eat," Axel said, noticing me hovering in the doorway.

"I’m not hungry," I replied quickly, grabbing my purse. "I’ll eat something at the office."

Before he could protest, I was out the door and in the car with my driver.

"Can we stop at the hospital first?" I asked. "I want to check on my friend."

"Of course, ma’am."

It was still extremely early, but I managed to get into the wards using my connections from yesterday. When I entered Erica’s room, I found her still asleep, looking small and fragile in the hospital bed.

I sat beside her for a few minutes, observing her wounds. The sight of her bruised face made my heart ache, and my mind inevitably wandered to my mother.

Almost without thinking, I stood up and left Erica’s room, my feet carrying me down familiar hallways as if guided by instinct.

To my surprise, I found my mother’s room unguarded. The blinds were still drawn shut, just as they had been before. My hand hovered over the door handle for a moment before I gathered the courage to go in.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw her.

My mother’s body looked so frail and pale against the white hospital sheets. She seemed to have aged years in the weeks since I’d last seen her.

"Mom?" I whispered, almost unsure it was really her because of how sickly she looked.

I still felt hurt that she hadn’t stood up for me, that she’d allowed Dad and Cassandra to get away with their actions. But seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming compassion.

I sat down in the chair beside her bed, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. As if sensing my presence, her eyes fluttered open.

"Mom," I said softly, reaching for her hand. "How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

She looked at me with warm, teary eyes but barely spoke, just squeezed my hand weakly.

"I’ve been trying to see you for so long," I continued. "Everyone’s been preventing me from visiting since you were admitted. But I’m here now."

My mother’s lips moved, and I leaned closer to hear her.

"He did it," she whispered.

"What?" I asked, confused. "Mom, what do you mean? Who did what?"

She started rambling, her words tumbling out in broken fragments. "The secrets... keeping me quiet... I knew too much..."

Tears began streaming down her face as she gripped my hand tighter.

"I’m sorry, Layla. I’m so sorry. I should have... I should have protected you."

"Mom, calm down," I said gently, alarmed by her distress. "What’s going on? What are you trying to tell me?"

Suddenly, the hospital machines started beeping frantically. A nurse rushed in, followed quickly by a doctor.

"Ma’am, you need to leave," the nurse said, trying to guide me away from the bed.

But just as they tried to escort me out, my mother gripped my hand with surprising strength.

"Check the old tree house," she whispered urgently, her eyes boring into mine. "The answers... they’re in the tree house."