"The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely." C.G. Jung
Saint
We were back at Marcus's place, the silence heavy with dread. We’d gone over everything, every detail of Veronica’s disappearance, Hayley’s hazy recollection of the night, the unsettling feeling that this was more than just a random act. But nothing clicked. It was like chasing a ghost, a shadow that flickered just out of reach.
“It just doesn’t make sense,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “Why would anyone take her? Who would want to hurt her?”
Marcus was quiet, his brow furrowed as he sifted through the notes we’d compiled. “There’s something we’re missing,” he muttered. “A piece of the puzzle that just won’t fit.”
He looked up suddenly, his eyes widening. “The masquerade party,” he said.
“What about it?” I asked, my mind still stuck on the dead ends we’d reached.
“Liam,” he said, his voice taking on a new urgency. “Liam was there. I saw him. It was a few weeks ago, right? He was talking to Veronica for a while.”
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My breath hitched. Liam. Julian’s younger brother. A name I barely registered anymore. I didn't *know* Liam, not really. Just that he existed, a vague presence in Julian's shadow. He’d been at the party? I’d almost forgotten.
“You’re sure?” I asked, my mind suddenly reeling.
“Positive,” Marcus said. “He was wearing a dark mask, but I recognized his build. And he was definitely talking to Veronica. They seemed… intense.”
A cold feeling settled in my gut. Intense? What did that mean? I’d been so focused on Julian, on the possibility of his involvement, that I’d completely overlooked Liam. And then it hit me. A memory, sharp and unsettling, surfaced in my mind.
“Wait,” I said, my voice tight. “The bathroom. At the party. Someone… someone ambushed Veronica in the bathroom. She told me about it, brushed it off as some drunk guy, but…”
“But it could have been Liam,” Marcus finished, his eyes meeting mine.
“It *was* him,” I said, the pieces clicking into place with terrifying clarity. “It had to be. He was there, talking to her, maybe even following her. And I was so blind, so focused on the past, that I didn’t even consider him.”
“Marcus,” I said, my voice low and urgent. “We need to find out everything we can about Liam Hawthorne. *Everything*. His background, his connections, his current whereabouts. I want to know what he’s been doing since… since Julian.”
“I’m on it,” Marcus said, already typing furiously on his laptop. “I’ll pull everything I can find.”
“And,” I added, a grimness settling over me. “I want to know if he’s been in contact with Julian. If there’s any chance they’ve been coordinating this.”
The pieces were starting to fit together, forming a disturbing picture I hadn’t wanted to see. Liam. He’d been there, lurking in the shadows, watching, maybe even planning. And now, he’d taken Veronica.
The thought sent a wave of anger through me, hotter and more intense than anything I’d felt before. I would find her. I would bring her back. And Liam Hawthorne… he would pay. He would pay for what he’d done. I grabbed my jacket, a sense of urgency clawing at me. "I'm going out," I said to Marcus. "I can't just sit here and wait."
"Where are you going?" Marcus asked, his fingers still flying across the keyboard.
"I don't know yet," I said. "But I'll find something. Anything. I have to." I walked out the door, the cool night air a stark contrast to the burning rage inside me. Liam Hawthorne, a name I barely knew, had become my obsession. He'd taken her, and now, the hunt had begun.