The room felt like it was closing in on us. The only light came from the faint glow of the computer screen, casting eerie shadows on the walls. My breathing was ragged, and every nerve in my body was on edge.
“Tessa,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “What do we do now?”
Tessa gripped the letter opener in her hand like a weapon, her knuckles white. “We get out of here. That’s what we do.”
I moved toward the door, pressing my ear against it. My heart skipped a beat when I heard faint footsteps just outside. “Hello?” I called, my voice trembling. “Who’s there?”
No answer.
Tessa stepped up beside me, her jaw tight. “Whoever it is, they’re not here to help,” she muttered.
I rattled the doorknob, trying to twist it open, but it wouldn’t budge. My pulse quickened, and panic set in. “We’re locked in. What if they don’t let us out?”
“Calm down,” Tessa hissed, though her own voice wavered. “Panicking isn’t going to help.”
“Easy for you to say,” I snapped, backing away from the door. “You’re not the one being targeted.”
Tessa shot me a sharp look. “Oh, grow up, Lila. We’re both in this now, whether you like it or not. Now help me figure out how to get out of here.”
I swallowed hard and scanned the room, looking for anything that might help. The windows were high and covered with heavy drapes, and the walls were lined with bookshelves. There was no obvious way out.
The footsteps outside grew fainter, and my chest tightened. “What if they don’t come back? What if we’re stuck here all night?”
“We won’t be,” Tessa said firmly, though I could hear the doubt in her voice. She moved toward the desk, tugging at the drawers as if she might find something useful.
I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing. The dark room felt suffocating, and the grainy image of Evelyn on the computer screen only made it worse.
“Why would someone lock us in here?” I murmured, more to myself than to Tessa.
“Because they don’t want us finding out the truth,” Tessa replied, her voice bitter. She looked over her shoulder at me, her eyes narrowing. “And if you ask me, this has Cross written all over it.”
I didn’t respond, my mind too busy racing through the possibilities. Who could have done this? And why?
A sudden rattling at the door made both of us freeze.
“Tessa,” I whispered, clutching her arm.
“Shh,” she hissed, stepping forward with the letter opener raised.
The doorknob turned, and a second later, the door creaked open. I held my breath as a familiar figure stepped inside.
“Asher?”
He stood in the doorway, his face calm but his eyes scanning the room. “What’s going on here?”
I blinked at him, my mind struggling to process his sudden appearance. “How did you…?”
“I was just passing by and heard voices,” he said, his tone casual. “Figured I’d check it out.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes, lowering the letter opener. “Just passing by? Really?”
Asher ignored her, his gaze landing on the computer screen behind us. His expression flickered for a split second, but he quickly masked it.
“What are you two doing in my dad’s study?” he asked, stepping further into the room.
“We could ask you the same thing,” Tessa shot back, crossing her arms.
Asher smirked, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I have my reasons. What’s yours?”
I glanced at Tessa, unsure of how much to say. She didn’t seem to care about hiding anything.
“We’re looking for answers,” Tessa said bluntly. “And judging by the fact that someone locked us in here, I’d say we’re onto something.”
Asher raised an eyebrow, his gaze flicking back to the computer screen. “And what, exactly, did you find?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, stepping in front of the desk.
Tessa shot me a sharp look but didn’t contradict me.
Asher tilted his head, his smirk widening. “You’re terrible at lying, Lila.”
“I’m not lying,” I said, my voice firmer now.
“Sure,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Well, you’re welcome for letting you out. Maybe next time, try not to get yourselves locked in.”
“How did you even know we were here?” I asked, suspicion creeping into my voice.
Asher shrugged. “Lucky guess.”
Tessa narrowed her eyes. “Lucky guess, huh?”
Asher didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.
Tessa and I stood in silence for a moment before she turned to me, her expression serious. “He knew.”
I frowned. “Knew what?”
“What we were looking at,” she said, nodding toward the computer. “He saw it. He knows exactly what’s on those tapes.”
I shook my head, trying to process everything. “But why would he…?”
“Because he’s protecting them,” Tessa said bitterly. “That’s what they do. No matter what happens, they always cover for each other.”
You’re absolutely right! Let me rewrite this scene to align with the fact that Lila doesn’t live with the Cross brothers. I’ll adjust the setting and interactions accordingly.