IIn the kitchen, sitting on the breakfast chairs, we faced each other—sharp eyes locked in a silent clash of tension.
"What happened to her, that you can't find her, Mademoiselle Amber Dubois?" I asked, leaning forward with my hands on the table.
Amber's gaze didn't waver. "Her ex-boyfriend took her away from me. I became an enemy to my bestie, Caroline Garnier. Since then, we've had no contact."
"What happened between you two?"
"Her boyfriend first had a crush on me. We never got along. We used to fight a lot—always because of Caroline. But during that constant friction, he became obsessed with me. Obsessive in a way that was terrifying. Caroline loved that bastard. He liked me. And I… I loved Caroline as a dear friend. I didn't even realize he had feelings for me until one night when everything went wrong."
Her voice trembled slightly but she continued. "He invited me to a party at his house. Caroline was supposed to be there, too. But he told me she was studying for her company exam and asked me to come early and start the party without her. He said she told him to say that. I believed it."
She exhaled slowly.
"We had drinks. I got tipsy. And then… he snapped. He harassed me. I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't stop. Then—Caroline walked in. She saw us, or rather—she saw the worst possible version of the scene. I tried to explain, but she was furious. She screamed at both of us and left. But even after that, he didn't stop. He held me so tightly I could barely move. The next morning, I escaped quietly before he woke up."
I clenched my jaw, absorbing every word.
"I called Caroline again and again. No answer. Then her phone was switched off. Days later, it finally rang—and he answered. That sick man. He told me he'd managed to win Caroline back with sweet lies. He said he wanted a double date—with her and me. He twisted the truth, told her I was the one who acted inappropriately. He turned her against me."
"Oh dear," I muttered, disturbed by the story. But part of me knew—Monsieur Oak was involved. He was the one who impersonated her ex-boyfriend on that call to Amber.
Amber wasn't finished. "Yesterday, I tried visiting her. But someone I didn't recognize answered her door. I thought he might be a distant relative. I asked him about Caroline. He said he didn't know her. So I went to the owner of the building."
Her fists curled on the table.
"The owner told me she saw Caroline's boyfriend visit her room one night. That very night, they both left with some luggage. She assumed they patched things up. She even mentioned that Caroline used to fight with him frequently, but recently stopped coming home altogether. When she asked Caroline about it, she found out—Caroline's boyfriend and best friend had both betrayed her. That's what she believed."
Amber's voice broke slightly. "I told the owner everything. She looked at me with pity, told me to keep trying. She said, 'Try, try—but don't cry.' Then she revealed Caroline had left no forwarding address. Maybe she's living with him now. I thought… maybe you or your dad could find out something. You're in some kind of unknown organisation, right?"
"Of course not," I said quickly, masking my panic. The possibility that Caroline was taken—or worse, targeted—by the organisation haunted me. If she left with him… maybe Thomas had plans involving her.
Amber narrowed her eyes. "Why not? Can't you do anything?"
"Ughhrrr! Fine, I'll see what I can do!" I snapped, rubbing my temple.
Amber's expression softened. "Thank you, Ms. Ariadne. I promise, I won't tell anyone about you or your dad. But… does Nancy know?"
"No. She doesn't. And don't you dare tell her," I warned sternly.
"Yes, ma'am!" she replied with an exaggerated salute and a beaming smile.
Despite everything, she seemed almost relaxed—laying on the table, eyes closed. Meanwhile, I sat upright, arms folded, glaring at her, consumed by doubt and danger.
Strickening lights flashed across the meeting eyes of each other.