**Third person**“Hey Jeff, it's been a while,” she said awkwardly. He scoffed slightly. “Hi,” he simply replied, the gaze in his eyes still cold enough to freeze a river. “Uh, I heard about Chloe. I'm so sorry for your loss.”Jeff, whose gaze had been focused on his desk, fiddling with a pen, lifted his eyes to her. “What are you doing here?”His face was devoid of emotion."I just... I..." Laura stammered, her cheeks flushing red. "I came to see you."The way he looked at her made her feet tremble, and she staggered slightly.She'd never seen Jeff this way.Could this perhaps be because of what Rachel mentioned earlier? Does he also think that she'd tried to kill him?Richard didn't understand why Jeff was being so calm. Unable to stand Laura, he stepped forward.“You've really got some nerves coming back here after everything,” Richard spat."Everything?" Laura's voice wavered slightly.“Laura, don't play dumb!” Richard's fists were tightly clenched, and he grinded his teeth. “
**Third person**She couldn't just sit idly by and watch Laura unravel everything.They'd worked so hard, even going so far as to frame Laura. Every piece had been meticulously placed to divert suspicion away from them because things were getting hot.Robert had intentionally allowed Chloe to feel clever by eavesdropping on a conversation with "Laura."And Chloe had been naive to believe Robert would actually call his accomplice by name over the phone, risking someone overhearing."And why do you think we should believe you?" Richard spoke up while Jeff's gaze remained fixed on Laura, his expression unreadable."It's the truth, I swear." Laura's voice trembled slightly.Richard stared at her intently before continuing. "Even if what you say is true, why did you decide to come back now?""My conscience and my freedom. I can't keep running forever," Laura replied, a sincere look in her eyes. "Robert would always have a hold on me if I didn't settle this."Laura wasn't stupid; at least s
**Third person**“Or until you brought up Chloe,” Rachel said with a serious tone.Laura’s eyes flickered back to Lily, whose cheeks were stained with tears, and she was stunned.Either Lily was pretending or she’d really hit a nerve.Laura knew that she couldn't afford to be arrogant, so she decided to apologize.“Well, I'm sorry, Lily, I just...”“Just leave,” Rachel interrupted sharply."Please, Rachel,” Laura's voice tinged with frustration. “I really need to talk to you.”“Just leave, Laura,” Rachel repeated with an air of finality.At this point, Laura knew that she had no choice but to leave. She'd try to talk to Rachel another time.**CHLOE**Dragging my eyes open, I looked around the blurry and unfamiliar surroundings. Where am I?Taking off the pink flowery duvet on me, I sat up, and my eyes roamed around the room. There was a small reading table and desk, with a book shelf above it. The spacious room held a couch and a mini fridge tucked by the side.My gaze caught a smal
**Third person**“It's so good to finally see you awake." A grin was plastered on Robert's face as he settled onto the bed beside her.“Thank you.” She smiled awkwardly.Robert immediately took her hand, his gaze lingering on her for a beat too long. “I really missed you.”There was tension in the air—a hidden current—that made Chloe's skin prickle. Elizabeth bustled around the room, straightening throw pillows and fussing over nonexistent wrinkles in the bedspread."Dinner will be ready soon," Elizabeth suddenly announced, her voice brittle. "Why don't you two lovebirds get acquainted? I need to check on the casserole," she said cheesily as she headed for the door.Chloe's cheeks flushed slightly; they had told her this man was her husband, but everything felt so foreign.The moment the door shut behind Elizabeth, Robert leaned in close, his lips aiming for hers. Chloe flinched back, startled by the sudden intimacy.Regret flickered across Robert's face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, his
**Third person**They'd kept Chloe somewhere on the outskirts of Miami. Surely, that wouldn't be a problem because after they sent Chloe's twin, Cara, to Jeff, he stopped looking for her.It had taken Robert less than an hour to get to Laura's apartment. The scent of lilies hung heavy in the air as Robert pushed open Laura's front door. Unannounced. Unwelcome. Her back was to him, a fragile silhouette framed by the kitchen window, washing dishes with a ferocity that spoke volumes.She was cursing underneath her breath, the events of the day replaying in her head."Laura," he announced, his voice tight.She spun around, the soapy water dripping from her hands. Her eyes were narrowed with a cold fury, but that didn't seem to have any effect on Robert."What do you want?" she spat, her voice laced with venom.He took a menacing step forward. "Don't play coy with me, Laura. You know exactly why I'm here.""Oh, should I?" Laura challenged, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Enlighten me,
**Third person**Robert arrived at the Surfside in Miami to see Chloe very early the next morning. The scent of the vanilla air freshener hung in the air as the door creaked open. Robert, a forced smile plastered on his face, entered Chloe's room."Good morning, my love," he boomed, his voice a touch too cheerful. "I didn't expect you to already be awake."“You're here early,” Chloe said with a soft smile as she dropped the book in hand and sat up. "I know you missed me, silly," Robert commented, ruffling Chloe's hair with a playful touch. She giggled, a sound that warmed Robert's heart despite the knot of worry tightening in his stomach. Lily was coming by later today, and she was still oblivious to the fact that he'd dumped her.Settling into the bed, Robert cleared his throat. "So, Cara, how do you feel today? Any new memories surfacing?"Chloe tilted her head, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Not really," she admitted. "Just... feelings of... I feel a sense of familiarity w
**Third person**The silence stretched on, a suffocating blanket threatening to consume them. "Is something wrong?" Chloe innocently asked Robert, her brow furrowing in concern.She'd noticed that he looked tense.“Of course not,” Robert immediately assured her, his mind racing for a plausible explanation. He stammered, "Well, uh, it's just a little headache."“Big sis,” Lily purred, squeezing Chloe's hand. “Did Robert tell you about how happy your marriage was?”Chloe chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed. “No, he didn't,” she replied innocently. “Mum just told me that Robert and I were married, but they didn't go into much detail.”Robert’s breath hitched as he shot Lily a warning glare. What was she up to? “So my mom was involved in this too?” Lily thought, her heart burning with malice.Seeing Robert's glare at her, she huffed slightly and focused her attention back on Chloe. “Ouuu, what a shame. Your relationship was quite the spicy one; I was even envious.”Chloe turned to lo
**Third person**Robert met her gaze head-on, a flicker of defiance igniting in his eyes. "So what if I did?" he countered, his voice dripping with a cold indifference.Lily gasped in disbelief. "Wow, you're really saying that to my face?" She at least expected Robert to deny it."Why is Lily acting like it is a problem to want her sister?" He thought to himself. After all, Chloe was more attractive.He scoffed, walked over to the desk, and started fiddling with a pen. "Life throws curveballs, Lily; you always have to be ready for anything."Lily huffed, clearly startled by Robert's indifference. “So what? Do you like her? Since when?”"Don't be dramatic," Robert retorted, a cruel edge to his voice. "Your sister is very beautiful, and she's kind; what's not to like? You didn't think I would've just married any random girl you brought?”“Wow…” Lily managed to murmur. Robert smiled; the shock on Lily's face seemed to amuse him. He'd tried to hit on Chloe even when she fell pregnant; Li