Chapter 171: Buried Memories, Bloody Truth

"Dad? You good?" Emma asked, noticing he seemed to zone out. "You were totally lost in thought."

Alexander forced a smile. "Just thinking about how fast you’ve grown up. Seems like just yesterday you were starting elementary school."

"And now I’m going for my master’s," Emma said proudly. "In computer science, can you believe it? Who would’ve thought all those hours you spent teaching me coding would actually pay off?"

I knew, Alexander thought. I made sure of it.

Every skill he taught her, coding, languages, and games designed to sharpen her awareness of her surroundings, was all planned to help her survive in a dangerous world.

Just in case his past ever caught up with them.

"I always knew you’d be amazing," he said honestly.

Emma beamed at him, her trusting smile hitting him right in the feels.

She loves me, he realized. Completely. Unconditionally.

And she has no idea who I really am.

*****

In the calm of her hospital room, Ayla’s eyes finally opened.

The bright fluorescent lights made her squint. Beeping machines were all around her, and the smell of antiseptic filled the air, mixed with the strange sounds of medical equipment buzzing in the background.

Where am I...?

Then it all came flooding back.

The quad. The man by the fountain. Those cold, calculating eyes locked onto hers across the grass.

Alexander.

Ayla’s breath hitched, and her heart raced, making one of the monitors beep wildly, which quickly brought a nurse rushing in.

"Take it easy, sweetie," the nurse said, checking her vitals. "You’re safe. You’re at St. Catherine’s Hospital. You collapsed at school."

"My... my sister," Ayla managed to say, her throat feeling dry.

"She’s right outside. I’ll go get her."

The nurse took off, and a moment later, Aylin barged through the door.

"Ayla!" She rushed to her sister’s side, grabbing her hand. "Oh my God, you’re awake! Are you okay? What happened?"

Ayla looked at her sister, tears already filling her eyes.

For years, people said she was wrong. That her memories were just trauma-induced fantasy. That she had made the whole thing up.

But she hadn’t.

She knew what she had seen.

"Aylin," Ayla whispered, her voice cracking. "You didn’t believe me back then. But I’m telling you now, it’s the truth. I saw him. I saw him put poison in Mom’s drink."

Aylin went completely still.

"I saw it," Ayla pressed on, her words spilling out faster now, desperate to be heard.

"I was in Dad’s office. Mom was there, showing Dad some papers. Then he walked in. Alexander. He asked Mom to come help him with something in the car. She went with him. And when they came back, he handed her a glass of water. I saw him put something in it. I saw it, Aylin."

Tears rolled down Ayla’s face. "Mom drank it. She had no clue. Why would she? He was Dad’s friend. His partner. And then she just... collapsed. She convulsed on the floor, and I tried to tell everyone, but no one believed me. The doctors said it was a heart attack. Dad said I was just traumatized. The therapist said I was making it all up. But I wasn’t lying. I saw him kill her."

Aylin’s eyes were all teary, but she stayed quiet. She just nodded and hugged Ayla tightly as they both sobbed.

"I believe you," Aylin finally said, her voice shaky. "I believe you, Ayla. I’m really sorry. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe you earlier."

Ayla held onto her sister like she was a lifeline. "I saw him today, Aylin. At the university. His hair is gray now, but I’d recognize him anywhere. I can’t forget his face or his voice. He was there the day Mom died. He killed her. He murdered our mother, and everyone thought I was losing it."

"You weren’t losing it," Aylin replied fiercely, pulling back to hold Ayla’s face in her hands. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"You were right. You’ve always been right. I promise we’re going to make him pay for what he did."

"But he’s still out there," Ayla cried. "What if he comes after me? What if he knows I remember?"

"He won’t touch you," Aylin promised, her eyes full of protective anger. "I won’t let him. Zayden won’t let him. We have security with you all the time. You’re safe, Ayla. I promise."

Even as she said it, Aylin’s mind was racing.

She was there. She’s the only witness.

If Alexander finds out Ayla remembers... he’ll come for her.

Ayla’s voice got more frantic, her words spilling out between sobs. "Aylin, I really saw him today. His hair was gray, but I know it was him. I can’t forget his face. His voice. He was there the day Mom died. He gave her that poisoned water, and she drank it without a clue. She didn’t suspect him at all."

"I know," Aylin whispered, gently running her fingers through her sister’s hair. "I believe you."

"Do you really?" Ayla pulled back, searching her sister’s face. "Because back then, everyone said I was making it up. Even you."

"I was wrong," Aylin said, her voice breaking. "I wasn’t there. I was at boarding school when Mom died. Dad called and told me you were traumatized, that you were accusing his friend Alexander of poisoning Mom, that the doctors said it was a heart attack, and that you were just in shock."

She wiped her tears with shaky hands. "Dad showed me the autopsy report and what the cardiologist said. He said your psychiatrist confirmed you were just making up stories to cope with the trauma. And I... God, Ayla, I believed him. I believed everyone but you."

"It wasn’t your fault," Ayla said softly. "You were only eleven. How could you have known?"

"I should have trusted you," Aylin said fiercely. "You were nine and saw our mom get murdered. Instead of believing you, we all thought you were crazy. Even I did."

She hugged Ayla again. "But I know the truth now. I know Dad was tricked. I know the doctors were probably paid off. I know Alexander Kane set it all up, Mom’s murder, the cover-up, everything. And I promise you, Ayla, I will make him pay for every single lie and every life he destroyed."