Amelia sat in the dimly lit room, her heart pounding in her chest. The recent events had left her reeling, and she was struggling to make sense of everything that had happened. Robert—of all people—had walked into Zara's apartment, his face a mask of cold indifference. The shock of seeing him had almost knocked the breath out of her. How could he be involved in this? How could someone she had trusted, someone she had called family, turn out to be one of the people behind this mess?
Lucas stood beside her, his jaw clenched tight. He had seen the way Amelia's face had changed when Robert entered the room, the shock and betrayal written all over her features. But Robert wasn't someone they could just push away, and Lucas knew they needed answers, even if they didn't want to hear them.
"Robert," Amelia whispered, her voice shaky but firm. "What are you doing here?"
Robert didn't answer immediately. He simply stared at them both, a look of regret mixed with something darker in his eyes. It was as though he was weighing his options, deciding just how much he was willing to reveal. Finally, he spoke.
"You've come too far, Amelia," he said, his voice low and strained. "You've dug too deep, and now you're in over your head. You have no idea what you're dealing with."
Amelia's chest tightened. The last thing she wanted to hear was him telling her she didn't understand. She had always trusted Robert, had always seen him as a protector. But now, it felt as though everything was falling apart.
"What are you talking about?" Lucas asked, his voice sharp. "What are you hiding?"
Robert shook his head slowly, stepping closer to them. "It's not what you think. There's so much more at stake here. The truth isn't as simple as you want it to be."
Amelia's mind raced, but she couldn't make sense of his words. What truth? And what was Robert's involvement in all of this? She had thought he was on their side, had thought he wanted the same thing—answers. But now, with him standing before them, she wasn't so sure.
"I don't believe you," Amelia said, her voice growing steadier. "You've been lying to me. Lying to both of us."
Robert sighed, a deep, exhausted sound that echoed in the silent room. "I never wanted to lie to you. But sometimes, the truth isn't something you can just say. There are consequences. Big ones."
Lucas stepped forward, his eyes narrowed in anger. "You've already caused enough damage. Stop trying to protect yourself. Just tell us what's going on."
For a moment, Robert remained silent, his eyes flickering to the door as if he were contemplating escape. Then, with a deep breath, he finally spoke.
"The people you're trying to take down are much more dangerous than you realize. They won't stop until they've destroyed everything you care about," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "And I'm not talking about Michael or anyone you've encountered so far. There's a bigger force behind everything. People who can make your lives disappear without a trace. And I... I was trying to protect you from that."
Amelia's heart skipped a beat. A bigger force? Who could be more dangerous than Michael, the man who had been controlling everything from the shadows? And why had Robert been trying to protect her? Wasn't he the one who had been working with her all along?
"You're not making any sense," Lucas said, his frustration growing. "If you're trying to protect us, why didn't you tell us everything?"
Robert's face darkened, and for the first time, there was a flash of something cold and dangerous in his eyes. "Because you wouldn't have believed me. No one would. And now, it's too late. You've exposed yourself."
Amelia felt a chill run down her spine. "Exposed ourselves? What do you mean?"
"You've been digging into things that you have no business knowing about," Robert replied, his voice low. "And now, people are watching. People who won't hesitate to take you down."
Amelia's mind spun with confusion. She couldn't make sense of it. Everything she thought she knew, everything she had believed about Robert, felt like it was unraveling before her eyes.
"I don't understand," she whispered. "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you warn me?"
Robert stepped back, his face softening slightly. "I didn't know how. I didn't know how to protect you from all this. But now... now you've crossed the line. And there's no turning back."
Lucas clenched his fists. "So, you knew about this all along? You knew we were walking into a trap, and you didn't warn us?"
Robert's eyes darkened once more. "I didn't know everything. But I knew enough to understand that you couldn't fight this on your own. I tried to keep you safe, but now... now you've made it personal."
Amelia felt the weight of his words settle in her chest. She had trusted Robert more than anyone, and now it felt like that trust had been shattered beyond repair. How could he have kept something like this from her? How could he have been so involved in the lies, yet not told her the truth?
Suddenly, a sharp noise interrupted her thoughts. The sound of a door slamming open echoed through the apartment, followed by heavy footsteps. Amelia's breath hitched in her throat as she looked over at Robert, who seemed to tense at the sound.
"I told you, Amelia," Robert muttered under his breath. "I warned you."
Before they could react, a figure appeared in the doorway—tall, shadowed, and menacing. The man was dressed in black, his face partially obscured by a mask, but Amelia could make out his cold, calculating eyes. The same eyes that had been haunting her nightmares.
"You've been busy, Amelia," the man said, his voice smooth and lethal. "Too busy for your own good."
Amelia's heart raced, fear flooding her body. Who was this man? And how had he found them?
"I... I don't know who you are," Amelia stammered, but her voice was shaking.
The man chuckled darkly. "I'm someone who's been keeping an eye on you. Someone who's been waiting for you to make a mistake."
Robert stepped in front of Amelia, his body tense and his fists clenched. "You don't have to do this," he said, his voice low but with an edge of fear.
The man smirked, the sound of his voice sending a chill through the room. "It's too late for that, Robert. This is the end of the line."
Amelia's mind raced. Who was this man? And what did he want with them? Was it too late to stop him?
What would happen next?
The truth was slipping through their fingers. Could they stop the inevitable, or had they pushed too far this time?