The Memory Keeper: The Sin In Our Name

Therese's POV

The weight of everything that had happened-Rain's abduction, Khai's deteriorating condition-felt heavier with every passing moment. But I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong, especially with Mrs. Letty. The way she had acted when I last saw her, the strange vibe she gave off-it all felt off. I had to find out if she knew anything about Rain's disappearance.

I stood outside her house, knocking on the door a few times, but no response came. My anxiety twisted in my gut, pushing me to check the back door. To my surprise, it was unlocked. I hesitated for a moment before deciding to go in. My instincts screamed at me that something was wrong, and I couldn't just stand there wondering. I slid inside cautiously, closing the door behind me.

The house felt unnervingly silent. The smell of stale food lingered in the air-waffles, bacon, eggs-all neatly packed up and untouched. They looked like they had been sitting there for days. Mrs. Letty wasn't here. I had a strange feeling creeping over me as I moved through the house, checking the rooms, calling her name. But she was nowhere to be found.

I moved toward her bedroom, my mind racing with questions, but I stopped dead when I noticed something. There was a small room, tucked away in the back, a room that seemed never to have been used. The door was wide open, as if inviting me in.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I flicked on the light. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes scanned the room. What I saw made my stomach turn.

A wall, covered in photos, notes, and meticulously drawn lines. A plan. A detailed plan of revenge.

At the center of it all were faces-Khai, Lucan, Rain, myself, Kroft. It was all there, mapped out with frightening precision. The web of connections, the timing, the moves-everything. Mrs. Letty had been orchestrating this all along, pulling the strings from behind the scenes. She had planned all of it. This wasn't just a random series of events; this was deliberate. It was a carefully crafted plan of execution.

I felt my heart pound in my chest as the reality of it hit me. I had been so blind. This was bigger than anything we had realized. Mrs. Letty was not just a bystander. She was a mastermind, and this... this was her sick, twisted game.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and yet, it all made sense. The pieces were falling into place, and it was worse than I could have imagined.

I pulled out my phone, my hands trembling as I snapped pictures of the wall, capturing every detail, every terrifying connection. But then, something caught my eye-something that made my stomach drop. There, in the mess of faces and notes, was something that didn't belong. The names "Lucan and Victoria" stood out, followed by a woman named "Barbara," and then, unsettlingly, a photo of Khali. I could feel my heart skip a beat.

I scanned the details-dates, places, events, all listed with chilling precision. But the more I looked, the worse it got. There, at the bottom of the list, was something that made everything freeze. A paternity test. My blood ran cold as I saw the name: Khalia Aster Stanton and Lucan Stanton-Unmatched.

My mind couldn't process it. It was as if time had stopped, and I was staring at the impossible. What? How?

My thoughts were a blur. I wanted to scream, to tear my eyes away from the paper, but I couldn't. The test-it wasn't just a piece of paper. It was the key to everything. I had to know how this could be possible. Was Khai...?

No. No, it couldn't be. My breath came in shallow gasps as I tried to make sense of it all. Unmatched. Lucan wasn't Khali's father, but who...?

The truth was unraveling in front of me, and I was powerless to stop it. The walls felt like they were closing in as I realized how deeply Mrs. Letty had manipulated everything, how perfectly she had planned this out. She'd known all along, and now... now, I was in the heart of it, facing the cruelest betrayal of all.