Allegedly

Chapter 7: Aftermath

The room was suffocating. Rowan's heart thundered in his chest, his eyes glued to the body on the bed. Blood-there was so much blood. It soaked the sheets, splattered the walls, and pooled on the hardwood floor. His mind raced, struggling to process what he was seeing, as the reality of the murder hit him like a freight train. Ada stood frozen in the doorway, her face pale, her chest rising and falling with rapid, panicked breaths. Her Scream still echoed in Rowan's ears, a high-pitched wail of terror that seemed to cut through the very fabric of the house. "Oh God," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Oh God, oh God..."

Rowan tore his gaze away from the body, trying to pull himself together. He glanced at Hui, who stood at the foot of the bed, his hands clenched into tight fists. Hui's face was ashen, his eyes locked on the body, but something flickered behind his otherwise stoic expression-a darkness, a flicker of something unreadable. "Hui..." Rowan said, his voice low and shaky. "We need to" But Hui wasn't listening. His entire body was tense, his breathing shallow as if he were barely holding himself together. Without a word, he turned and walked toward the open window. Rowan watched as Hui looked out into the darkness beyond the rooftop garden, his jaw clenched.

"Who.. who is it?" Rowan asked, though the answer was already taking shape in his mind. The tailored suit, the short-cropped hair. It had to be Someone who had access to the house, Someone who was close. "It's... Marcus," Hui finally muttered, his voice tight. "Emma's lawyer." Rowan's stomach churned. Marcus. He'd heard the name before-Emma's lawyer and longtime family friend. What the hell was Marcus doing here? And why would anyone want to kill him? Before Rowan could make sense of it, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs, followed by Emma's voice, fraught with panic. "What's happening? Where's Marcus? What's going on?"

Rowan winced. Emma. How could they possibly tell her what had just happened? Yuthika reached the top of the stairs first, her eyes wide with horror as she took in the scene. She covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a gasp. Behind her, Emma approached, Lucy barking frantically at her feet, the little dog's yelps a frantic chorus in the chaos. "Rowan!" Emma called, her voice tight with fear. "Where's Marcus? What's going on?" Rowan stood frozen, unable to find the Words. Yuthika rushed to Emma's side, her arm Wrapping around the older woman's shoulders, trying to keep her back from the grisly scene. "Emma, you should sit down," Yuthika urned gently, her voice trembling. "Something terrible has happened."

Emmas face tightened, and she reached out, as if trying to sense what was wrong. "What is it? I can feel it something's wrong. Where's Marcus?" Rowan exchanged a glance with Yuthika, and in that moment, it was clear that there was no way to shield Emma from the truth. "Emma..." Rowan said slowly, stepping closer. "Marcus... Marcus is dead." The words hung in the air like a heavy weight, crushing the breath out of the room. Emma's expression froze, and for moment, she didn't move, didn't speak. The only sound was Lucy's barking, growing louder and more frantic. "No..." Emma whispered, her voice shaking. "No, that can't be. Not Marcus..

Tears welled in her sightless eyes, and she reached out blindly, as if searching for something to hold onto, something to anchor her in the face of the unthinkable. Yuthika guided Emma toward a chair at the end of the hallway, whispering softly, trying to soothe her. "Sit down, Emma, sit down. We'll figure this out." Rowan's hands were shaking, his mind swirling with questions.
8Why was Marcus here? Why had someone gone to such violent lengths to kill him? And how had they escaped, Ieaving no trace but an open window and the faint trail of trampled grass on the balcony? Ada stood at the doorway, still trembling, her hands clutching the frame as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. "Who... who could have done this?" she stammered, her eyes wide with fear.

Rowan shook his head, his thoughts moving in a thousand directions. The open window suggested that the killer had escaped outside-but how? And more importantly, why? Was Marcus the intended target, or had the killer come for someone else? "We need to call the police," Rowan said, his voice firm despite the unease that churned in his gut. "There's a murderer out there. Someone killed Marcus, and they could still be nearby." Hui turned from the window, his face set in a hard line. "The police? You think they'll find whoever did this?" He glanced back at the body on the bed, his expression unreadable. "They'Il only complicate things." Rowan frowned, the unease grOwing. "What do you mean, 'complicate things'?"

Hui didn't answer, but the tension in his posture was unmistakable. He was holding something back-something that made Rowan's skin crawl. Suddenly, a new voice rang out from downstairs. "l'm coming! What's happening up there?" Cecilia. Rowan tensed, glancing toward the staircase. He had nearly forgotten about Emma's daughter in the chaos, but now her voice echoed through the house, filled with confusion and fear. Hui's face darkened. "Keep her downstairs," he said sharply, his eyes narrowing as he stepped toward the door. "She doesn't need to see this."

Rowan's jaw clenched. Hui's sudden assertiveness unnerved him. There was something too controlled about his reaction to the murder, something that didn't quite sit right. Why was Hui so determined to keep Cecilia away from the scene? Why did he seem more concerned with managing the situation than with Marcus's death? Before Rowan could respond, Cecilia's footsteps grew louder, and within moments, she appeared at the top of the stairs. Her eyes darted around the room, and the moment she saw the blood, she gasped. "Oh my God,' she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth. "What... what happened?" Rowan stepped forward, blocking her view of the bed. "Cecilia, it's better if you don't see this."

Tears filled her eyes as she looked past him, her gaze landing on Hui. "What's going on? Who's hurt? Why won't anyone tell me anything?" "It's Marcus," Hui said, his voice tight. "He's dead." Cecilia's breath hitched, and for a moment, she looked as if she might collapse. Yuthika rushed to her side, guiding her into the chair beside Emma. "Just sit down, Cecilia. We'll figure this Out." The room was thick with tension, the weight of the murder pressing down everyone. Rowan's mind raced, the questions swirling in his head growing louder and more insistent. Marcus's death wasn't random-it couldn't be. Someone in the house knew more than they were letting on.

And as Rowan glanced at Hui, who stood rigid by the window, his eyes scanning the darkened rooftop, suspicion gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. Someone here was hiding something. And until they uncovered the truth, no one in the house was safe.