Unraveled

Chapter 18

The damp, decaying room closed in around Caleb and Isabelle, the stench of mold and sweat thick in the air. Caleb's wrists burned where the ropes cut deep, his whole body heavy with exhaustion and pain. Isabelle sat a few feet away, slumped forward in her chair, red hair hanging in tangled strands around her face. She stirred, groaning as she tried to adjust against the restraints.

Neither of them spoke. The room was silent except for the sound of their labored breathing, the cold seeping into their bones.

The door creaked open, and Caleb's pulse quickened as two figures stepped into the room.

Lila and Aubrey.

Caleb's blood ran cold. He understood Lila's twisted fixation, her obsession with their past relationship. But Aubrey? The new server from the Gilded Plate? How did he fit into this nightmare?

Aubrey's once-warm blue eyes now gleamed coldly in the dim light, satisfaction flickering behind them. He looked calm, calculated, his expression unreadable. Lila, by contrast, was jittery, her eyes darting between Caleb and Isabelle with barely contained excitement.

"Caleb," Lila whispered, her voice soft but laced with unhinged glee. "It's all going to make sense soon. You'll see."

Caleb's throat tightened with fear. "Lila," he rasped, voice raw. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

Lila's smile was sickeningly sweet, making his stomach turn. "I'm doing this for us, Caleb. I'm fixing everything."

Caleb turned his gaze to Aubrey, confusion deepening. "Aubrey... why are you here? What's going on?"

Aubrey didn't answer immediately. He stood silently, watching them with detached interest, then stepped forward, his gaze fixed on Caleb.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Aubrey's voice was low, controlled. "But you will. Soon enough."

Caleb's mind reeled. This wasn't just about Lila. Aubrey was part of this, too. But why? They barely knew each other.

Isabelle shifted in her chair, her head lifting as she stared at Aubrey, eyes wide with shock. "No..." she whispered, her voice trembling with recognition. "You're... you're not Aubrey."

Caleb's gaze snapped to Isabelle, confusion rippling through him. "What? What do you mean?"

Isabelle's breathing quickened, her eyes locked on Aubrey's face. "You... you were my boyfriend in college," she whispered. "But your name wasn't Aubrey then. It was... something else."

Aubrey's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Ah, Isabelle. Always so observant. Yes, we dated. I went by a different name then, but it was always me."

Isabelle's face contorted with disbelief, her voice growing louder. "Why are you here? What do you want with us?"

Aubrey stepped closer, his blue eyes gleaming with twisted satisfaction. "You see, Isabelle, you and Caleb were always part of my plan. You were... convenient. A way to get closer."

Caleb's stomach tightened, his heart thundering as he tried to make sense of this nightmare. "What plan? What are you talking about?"

Aubrey turned to Caleb, his gaze dark and unyielding. "This is about your family, Caleb. The accident—the one that took your parents from you. You never knew, did you?"

Caleb's breath hitched. The accident? Memories flooded back: staying at Izzy's house, the news, the funeral, the emptiness. But what did this have to do with Aubrey?

"You were just a kid," Aubrey continued, his voice venomous. "You didn't know. But my parents were in that accident too."

Caleb's mind reeled. What?

Aubrey's face hardened, his voice cold and cutting. "Your father was drunk, Caleb. He caused the crash. But he was powerful—wealthy, connected. Everything was swept under the rug, and no one ever knew the truth."

The room spun around Caleb. His father? Drunk? No... that couldn't be true. His father had been careful, responsible. It didn't add up.

Aubrey's voice grew sharper, seething with anger. "Your father killed my parents that night. And I've spent years waiting for the moment to make you pay."

Caleb's pulse pounded, his vision blurring. This was unreal. His father... his father wouldn't have done that.

Isabelle's eyes widened as she looked at Aubrey, shock overtaking her expression. "You... you followed me to college," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You... you used me."

Aubrey chuckled, a cold, empty sound. "It was never about you, Isabelle. You were a means to an end. A way to monitor Caleb."

Isabelle's face crumpled in betrayal, tears spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head. "You... you're a monster."

Aubrey's smile grew wider. "You always did love theatrics, Isabelle. But this isn't about you. It never was."

Caleb's mind spun, reeling from the weight of Aubrey's revelation. His father, responsible for the death of Aubrey's parents? It couldn't be. His parents had been good people—kind, conscientious.

"I was left an orphan," Aubrey said softly, almost pityingly. "While you grew up with a family, and at eighteen, inherited everything, I was left with nothing. All because of your father's carelessness."

Caleb swallowed hard, his throat tight with emotion. "I didn't know," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't," Aubrey snapped, his voice sharp. "You were just a kid. But now... now, you're going to understand. Now, you're going to pay."

Lila, who had been strangely silent, suddenly stepped forward, her voice trembling. "Aubrey, this wasn't the plan. You promised me—"

"Shut up, Lila," Aubrey hissed, his gaze cold with irritation. "You were always a pawn in this. You wanted Caleb, fine. But this was never about you."

Lila's face contorted with rage, her voice rising. "You used me!" she shrieked, her fists clenched. "You lied to me!"

Aubrey's expression flickered with cold amusement. "You were useful, Lila. But now, you're just in the way."

Lila shook with fury, her eyes wild as she lunged at Aubrey, clawing at his chest. "You ruined everything!" she screamed. "All I wanted was Caleb!"

Aubrey pushed her aside effortlessly, sending her sprawling to the floor. His expression remained unchanged. "You were never going to have him, Lila."

Lila's scream tore through the room, and Caleb's heart pounded as he fought against the ropes. He needed to get free. He needed to stop this.

But before he could act, Aubrey reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife.

Caleb's blood froze. "No," he whispered, his voice cracking with desperation. "Aubrey, don't."

Aubrey ignored him, his gaze fixed coldly on Isabelle. She was shaking, her eyes wide with terror as the realization dawned on her.

"Aubrey, please," Isabelle sobbed, her voice broken. "Don't do this."

Aubrey's face remained emotionless as he moved closer, the blade catching the dim light. "This is the price," he said softly. "This is justice."

Caleb's heart shattered as Aubrey brought the knife down.

Isabelle's scream filled the room, and then—silence.