Amelia's heart raced as she faced the dark hallway, the distant sounds of footsteps fading into the background. Every corner seemed to hide a secret, and every shadow seemed to stretch toward her, threatening to reveal something she wasn't ready to see.
She had come this far, deeper into the mansion than she had ever been before, all because of a single whisper—a whisper that spoke of secrets buried deep within the family. The twins, Lucas's younger siblings, had always been a mystery to her. They were quiet, always out of sight, and their connection to the family was tenuous, to say the least. No one knew much about them, except that they were the youngest in the family and seemingly untouched by the chaos surrounding it.
But there had been something strange about them lately. She had caught glimpses of them at odd hours of the night, whispering to each other, exchanging mysterious looks. Amelia had to know what they were hiding.
As she turned a corner, her hand grazing the cold wall, she saw them standing at the end of the corridor. The twins. They hadn't noticed her yet.
"Hey," she called softly, taking a cautious step toward them. "What are you two doing here?"
The twins turned, their faces a mix of surprise and caution. They were identical, which made it hard for Amelia to tell them apart at first. But she knew they weren't just innocent bystanders in this web of lies. They were hiding something—something big.
"Amelia," one of them, the boy on the right, said, his voice cold and careful. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be in this part of the house."
"I could ask you the same thing," Amelia replied, keeping her voice steady. She was not afraid of them, though a nagging feeling of unease curled in her stomach.
The girl twin, the one on the left, took a step forward. "There are things you don't understand, Amelia. Things that, if known, could destroy everything you're trying to protect."
Amelia's eyebrows knitted together. "What do you mean? What are you hiding?"
The twins exchanged a glance, their eyes flickering with uncertainty, before the boy spoke again. "It's not something you can just walk away from, Amelia. Once you know, there's no turning back."
"Tell me," she demanded. "I have a right to know. I have to know what you're involved in."
The girl twin shook her head. "We didn't ask for this. We never wanted to be a part of the games the family plays. But we've been pulled in deeper than we ever thought possible."
"What games?" Amelia asked, her mind racing with possibilities. She had been involved in so many dangerous situations in the past months, and now this? The twins were always so quiet, so distant, and yet now they were in the middle of it all.
The boy took a deep breath, and for the first time, his voice cracked. "You think you know the truth, Amelia. But there's a bigger picture, and we're just pawns in it. Our father... he's not who you think he is."
Her heart stopped. "What do you mean? What's wrong with your father?"
"His past," the girl started, "it's... it's tied to everything. All the power, all the money, it's built on lies and betrayal. And now, it's all coming back to haunt us."
Amelia's mind was spinning. She couldn't believe what they were saying. Their father? Was it possible? The man who had always been so silent, so powerful? The man who never seemed to care about his children? Could he really be the source of all the family's problems?
"What are you saying? You're saying your father is behind all of this?" Amelia asked, her voice shaking with disbelief.
The boy twin nodded slowly, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. "Yes. And the worst part is, he's not the only one. There's someone else, someone who's been pulling the strings from the shadows. We've only just started to figure it out."
Amelia took a step closer, her eyes locked onto the twins. "Who else? Who's been pulling the strings?"
They both hesitated, as if afraid to say the name, but finally, the girl spoke. "Victoria. She's been working with our father. And now... now she's turning the family against itself."
Amelia's blood ran cold. Victoria? The same woman who had been manipulating everyone, turning them against Lucas, against her, and against each other?
"She's been using us, Amelia. All of us. And now, she's got a plan. A plan to take everything from us, from you, from Lucas." The boy's voice was filled with regret.
Amelia felt a lump in her throat. This was bigger than she had thought. Victoria was always two steps ahead of everyone, but now it seemed like the twins were part of her plan all along. "So, what are you going to do?"
The twins exchanged another look. It was clear they were conflicted, unsure of what to do next. "We don't know," the girl whispered. "We've been trying to keep it hidden, trying to protect the family, but it's all falling apart. And now that you know... we're not sure how much longer we can keep the secret."
Amelia looked at them, her heart racing. "What secret?"
The boy stepped forward, his face filled with determination. "You've got to promise me, Amelia... promise me that you won't tell Lucas yet. Not until we have all the pieces. He can't know yet."
"But—"
"Promise," he interrupted, his voice urgent.
Amelia swallowed hard, unsure of what to say. "I... I promise."
Just as she finished speaking, the sound of footsteps echoed through the hallway, drawing closer.
"Someone's coming," the girl whispered urgently. "We have to go, now!"
The twins turned quickly, their expressions a mix of fear and urgency. Amelia hesitated for a second but then followed them, her mind racing with the new information she had learned. Victoria, the twins, Lucas's father—it was all connected in a web of deceit and manipulation.
But just as they rounded the corner, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Amelia!"
She froze. It was Lucas. She turned slowly to face him, her heart pounding in her chest. He was standing at the end of the corridor, a concerned look on his face.
"Lucas," she said, her voice shaky. "I—I was just—"
"Amelia, what's going on? What are you doing with them?" he demanded, his gaze shifting to the twins.
The girl twin took a step forward. "Lucas, we need to talk."
And with that, the story hung in the balance, the questions mounting, and the truth still out of reach.
To be continued…