Chapter 4

When I opened the door again, I had a tired but natural smile back on my face.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Got some drinks."

Austin and Mia were sitting on the couch, looking completely normal.

Austin took the drinks, looking concerned. "You feel better? Do you need to lie down?"

"Much better." I shook my head, my eyes casually drifting toward my home office.

The desk drawer wasn't fully closed. It was slightly off from how I always left it.

My heart grew colder.

I walked into the office under the pretense of grabbing something and quickly checked the drawer.

The documents had clearly been shifted. The blue folder was out of place.

I touched my laptop. It was asleep, but the bottom was still warm.

The evidence was undeniable.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Rage and terror battled in my chest, but I had to play dumb.

I walked back to the living room and looked at Mia’s designer handbag sitting in the corner. I smiled and tried to sound casual. "Mia, you must be tired from the trip. Do you have toiletries in your bag? I have brand-new ones here, so you don't have to unpack your things if you don't want to."

As I spoke, I reached out, pretending to help her with her bag.

"I’m good!" Mia’s reaction was incredibly fast. She practically lunged forward to snatch the bag into her arms, her face instantly twisting into a look of fear and hurt.

"I... I brought everything! I don't want to bother you, Chloe!"

Austin immediately stood up, placing himself between me and Mia. There was a flicker of tension in his voice. "Chloe, Mia can handle her own stuff. Girls have private things in their bags."

He paused, looking at me with a hint of accusation. "What's wrong with you today anyway? Why are you suddenly so interested in her bag?"

Right on cue, Mia’s eyes turned red, and she began to sob quietly. "Chloe... do you hate me? Do you think I stole something? I didn't... I really just came here to stay. I didn't mean to make trouble..."

They played off each other perfectly, making me look like the paranoid, hostile bully.

Looking at how Austin protected her, and watching Mia's flawless performance, the last bit of warmth in my heart died.

It was all true.

The cats were right. Their conspiracy was real.

"Of course not," I forced a stiff smile. "I was just asking in case you forgot something. Don't worry about it, sit down."

I turned my back to them, feeling completely frozen. The world had suddenly become a terrifying, hostile place.