---
### Chapter Six: The Flashback
The night air was heavy with uncertainty as Lily hurried to Jane's apartment, her heart pounding in her chest. Earlier that evening, Jane had called her, her voice shaky and desperate. "Lily, I need to talk. Please come over."
Now, standing outside the door, Lily hesitated for a moment before knocking.
A knot tightened in her stomach; Jane had been distant lately, and their friendship had frayed since the fallout over Mark.
When there was no immediate response, she knocked again—this time harder. "Jane? It's me!"
Finally, she heard shuffling from inside before the door creaked open. Jane stood there, looking frazzled and on edge. "Thank you for coming," she said quickly, pulling Lily inside and shutting the door behind her.
Lily barely had time to process what was happening when she heard a loud click—the sound of the door locking from the outside. Panic surged through her. "Jane! What are you doing?"
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't risk anyone coming in," Jane replied, her voice trembling. "I just need you to listen."
Before Lily could respond, a loud crash echoed from somewhere in the apartment—a sound that sent chills down her spine. "What was that?" she asked nervously.
"I don't know," Jane whispered, her eyes wide with fear. "Let's go check it out."
As they moved toward the sound, a sudden slosh filled the air—a moment before red liquid splattered everywhere.
"Noooooo!!!" Lily's voice thundered as horror gripped her heart while watching Jane's body sprawled on the dark cold floor.
---
###
Lily jolted awake in the dimly lit private cell where she had been held. The memory lingered like a shadow in her mind when suddenly there was a knock at the door.
An officer appeared, his face impassive. "Someone is here to see you," he announced.
Lily followed him down the corridor to the receiving room.
It was stark and sterile—white walls that felt cold and unwelcoming, a single metal table at its center surrounded by hard plastic chairs. The fluorescent lights hummed above, casting harsh shadows that seemed to swallow the space whole.
As she entered, her heart skipped a beat; there stood Mark—anxious yet unreadable, his eyes searching hers desperately.
Without thinking, she ran to him and hugged him tightly. The warmth of his body offered a momentary refuge from the chaos swirling around them; it felt like home amidst all this turmoil.
They settled into chairs across from each other as Mark's expression shifted to one of concern.
"Lily… what happened? How did it all go so wrong?"
With trembling hands and an unsteady voice, Lily recounted her version of events—the panic of that night flooding back as she spoke.
Mark listened intently but his face paled when she mentioned Jane's fate.
"I got a call from one of the detectives," he said slowly, disbelief etched on his features. "I was shocked to hear that Jane was dead… but even more shocked to hear that you were there at the time of the murder."
The weight of his words crashed down on Lily like a tidal wave. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to comprehend everything that had happened.
Mark reached across the table and took her hands in his, his touch grounding her amidst despair.
"We are in this together," he murmured softly before leaning forward to kiss her gently—an unspoken promise between them.
As they talked for what felt like hours, time slipped away until it was finally time for Lily to return to her cell.
Mark stood up reluctantly and handed her a bag filled with everything she would need—a lifeline in this dark place.
"Goodbye and please be strong. I know it's not going to be easy babe but we'll get through this together, I tried bailing u out but the evidence of sight led to this. Dont worry, please just bear this for the main time", he whispered with another soft kiss before turning away.
With hot tears streaming down her cheeks, Lily watched him leave the receiving room as despair settled back over her like a heavy blanket.
---