Months had passed since Marcelo had returned to his seat of power. Meanwhile, Theressa now found herself confined within the suffocating boundaries set by Marcelo.
Against her every instinct, Marcelo had forbidden Theressa from venturing beyond the confines of their controlled environment. He had issued strict commands, demanding her presence be tethered to his side or under the watchful eyes of his trusted bodyguards. To Marcelo, it was a matter of protection, a safeguard against potential threats lurking in the shadows of the world outside. But to Theressa, it felt like nothing short of imprisonment.
Each passing day weighed heavily upon her, the weight of Marcelo’s restrictions pressing down upon her like a suffocating shroud. She longed for the freedom she once took for granted, the simple pleasures of strolling through the streets or indulging in a leisurely shopping trip. Yet, those luxuries were now nothing more than distant memories, overshadowed by the dark cloud of Marcelo’s control.
She felt like a dog, bound by the invisible leash of her master’s commands, her every move dictated by his will. The once fiery spirit within her had been extinguished, replaced by a sense of resignation and submission. For five long months, she had existed in a state of perpetual waiting, her gaze fixed upon the window as she yearned for a taste of the world beyond.
But more than anything, she carried the weight of guilt upon her shoulders, a burden that threatened to consume her from within. The memory of Anne’s death haunted her every waking moment, a constant reminder of the consequences of her actions. She blamed herself for the tragedy that had unfolded, each night tormented by the relentless echoes of what could have been done differently.
Theressa’s patience had worn thin, worn down by the relentless monotony of her captivity. She could no longer bear the suffocating confines of Marcelo’s control, nor the oppressive weight of his commands.
With each passing day, the urgency of her situation grew more palpable. There were unanswered questions lingering in the depths of her mind, questions that demanded resolution. Her mother’s silence weighed heavily upon her, a constant reminder of the fractured relationships that haunted her past. And her father, a distant figure shrouded in mystery, held the key to unlocking the secrets of her identity.
But Theressa was not one to sit idly by and wait for answers to come to her. She knew that if she wanted to uncover the truth, she would have to take matters into her own hands. And so, she reached out to a certain someone, someone who could offer her the support and guidance she needed to navigate the treacherous waters ahead.
“Hey,” she said into the phone, her voice betraying a sense of determination that had long lain dormant within her. With her hand buried deep in the pocket of her black sweatpants, she felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Dressed in an all-black outfit, she had chosen her attire with care, knowing that discretion was key to her escape.
“Let’s meet,” were the words that fell from her lips, a simple yet resolute declaration of her intent. And with that, she slipped out of Marcelo’s mansion.
The familiar car arrived to whisk Theressa away from Marcelo’s mansion, its presence offering a small glimmer of relief in the midst of her tense escape. With both Teddy and Kayden absent, her departure went unnoticed, allowing her to slip away unnoticed and unimpeded.
Returning to the cemetery, Theressa’s heart pounded with anticipation as she approached the old man who tended to her father’s grave. His reluctance to speak about the mysterious occupant of her father’s resting place only fueled her determination to uncover the truth.
At first, the old man’s reticence seemed insurmountable, his fear palpable as he hesitated to divulge the secrets hidden within the cemetery’s grounds. But as Theressa and her companions prepared to leave, a sudden change came over him, as if a newfound resolve had taken hold.
With trembling hands, he poured them each a cup of tea, his voice barely above a whisper as he began to speak. Theressa leaned in, her anxiety mounting with each word that passed his lips.
“A lady had met up with me,” the old man began, his gaze fixed on Theressa with a mixture of fear and trepidation. She held her breath, hanging on his every word.
“How is she like?” Theressa questioned eagerly, her hands trembling as she produced a photograph of her mother, hoping to jog the old man’s memory.
“Yes, yes, that’s her,” the old man nodded, confirming her suspicions.
“She… she wanted her husband’s grave occupied by another person,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. Theressa’s heart sank at the revelation, her mind racing with the implications of her mother’s actions.
“I refused, but she pleaded persistently to leave unless I agree, and so I helped her. But that night…” The old man’s voice trailed off, his expression haunted by the memories of what had transpired. It was clear that he was gripped by fear, as if he feared reprisal for revealing the truth that had long been buried.
Theressa listened intently, her mind reeling with the weight of his words. The pieces of the puzzle were slowly falling into place, painting a picture of deception and betrayal that threatened to shatter her world.
Theressa’s heart thundered against her chest, each beat echoing the tumultuous swirl of emotions that consumed her as the old man’s words washed over her. With bated breath, she hung on his every word, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts and imaginings.
“A gang of people came,” the old man’s voice broke through the heavy silence of the cemetery, his words laden with a sense of foreboding. “It was the night we had placed the body in the coffin and buried it. The lady was with an unconscious man-”
Theressa couldn’t contain the rush of questions that flooded her mind, her eagerness to uncover the truth driving her to interrupt the old man mid-sentence. “Did you see his face?” she blurted out, her voice tinged with desperation. In that moment, she clung to a fragile hope, praying that somehow, against all odds, it was her father lying in that coffin.
But the old man’s response was a crushing blow, his head shaking in solemn disagreement. Theressa’s heart sank, disappointment flooding her veins like a bitter tide. The glimmer of hope she had clung to so desperately was extinguished in an instant, leaving behind only the cold, hard reality of her situation.
“He was all covered up with bandages,” the old man continued, his gestures painting a vivid picture of the scene that had unfolded before him. Theressa listened intently, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the fragments of information she had been given.
The pieces of the puzzle seemed to elude her grasp, slipping through her fingers like grains of sand.
The tension in the air was palpable as the old man’s words hung heavy in the stillness of the room. Theressa’s heart raced with anticipation, her senses heightened by the sense of impending danger that loomed on the horizon.
“The gang. They had gotten into a fight with that lady,” the old man continued, his voice trembling with fear. “Fortunately, I had called the police, and she was able to escape, and-”
But before he could finish his sentence, a series of sharp knocks shattered the silence, each rap echoing through the room like a thunderclap. Theressa’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in alarm as she exchanged a worried glance with her companion, Justin.
All eyes turned towards the door, the ominous sound of the knocking reverberating through the darkness. Outside, the rain fell in torrents, a relentless drumbeat that mirrored the frantic rhythm of Theressa’s heart. She watched as the old man’s expression shifted, fear clouding his features as he stared at the door as if it held the specter of death itself.
“You have to leave,” he whispered, his voice barely audible above the pounding of the rain. His gaze remained fixed on the door, his body tense with apprehension.
“Now,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. Theressa felt a surge of defiance rise within her, a stubborn refusal to back down in the face of danger. Whoever stood on the other side of that door, she was prepared to confront them head-on, to unearth the secrets they held within their grasp.
But as she opened her mouth to protest, Justin’s hand on her arm stayed her words, his expression grave.
“We should listen to the old man,” Justin advised, his tone firm as he wasted no time in taking action. With a sense of urgency, he met Theressa’s gaze and gestured towards the window, an unspoken signal of their impending escape.
Theressa hesitated, torn between her desire for answers and the pressing need to ensure her own safety. But before she could voice her concerns, Justin had already taken charge, his hand firmly grasping hers as he pulled her towards the waiting car.
They moved quickly, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the empty corridors of the cemetery. In no time, they reached the safety of the car, the engine roaring to life as Justin deftly maneuvered them away from the looming threat.
Theressa’s mind raced with conflicting emotions, her thoughts swirling like a tempest within her. She knew that she needed more information, that she couldn’t simply turn her back on the secrets that lay hidden in the darkness. But Justin gave her no time to dwell on her decision, his determination to keep her safe outweighing any other consideration.
As they sped away into the night, Theressa couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that settled over her like a shroud. Though Justin seemed intent on putting distance between them and the danger that lurked in the shadows, Theressa couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease gnawing at her insides.
And then, just as they disappeared into the darkness, Theressa caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. A black car, lurking in the shadows of the woods, its presence a silent reminder of the dangers that still surrounded them.
But before she could make out any details, the darkness swallowed it whole, leaving behind only the echo of her racing heartbeat as they vanished into the night.