CLUE

The heavy drapes allowed only slivers of moonlight to cast eerie shadows on the walls. The atmosphere was thick with tension, an unsettling quiet enveloping the space. Mateo stood nervously by the bed, his eyes fixed on her with a mix of desperation and longing. His youthful face was flushed, and his hands trembled slightly as he took a hesitant step towards her.

“ Evelyn ,”

he began, his voice barely a whisper,

“I can’t hide it any longer. I love you.”

Evelyn’s eyes widened in shock, her breath catching in her throat.

“Mateo, no,”

she stammered, moving back, her hand instinctively moving to cover her chest as if to shield herself from his words.

But Mateo, emboldened by his confession, reached out to her.

“Please, listen to me,”

he pleaded, trying to close the distance between them.

Before he could touch her, Evelyn’s resolve hardened. With a swift, decisive motion, she slapped him hard across the face. The sharp sound echoed in the room, a stark contrast to the oppressive sile