Chapter 5: The Truth Arrives Too Late

The police officer's voice came through clearly on the phone, and Nathan's smile instantly froze.

"There really was an incident at her house? Is Mrs. Cooper seriously injured?"

From Nathan's questions, I knew it must be the police calling.

Fighting through the intense pain, I struggled to get up from the ground, snatched the phone, and then collapsed heavily back down.

Ignoring my injuries, I anxiously asked, "Officer, how is my mother? Where is she hurt?"

"Her injuries are quite severe, ma'am. She has lost a significant amount of blood. The paramedics are taking her to the hospital now, but she needs surgery immediately."

My fingers tightened around the phone.

"Please, make sure she gets there safely. Her blood type is O negative. The family doctor has her medical records. Please contact him if you need anything."

"We've already sent the information to the hospital. Don't worry. The ambulance is on its way."

I closed my eyes for a moment, finally allowing myself to breathe.

At least this time, Mom was alive.

In my previous life, she had never made it this far.

But then another thought struck me.

If the police had arrived, why were the intruders able to escape?

And why had they left without finishing what they came to do?

My memories suddenly became painfully clear.

There had been three men in my previous life. They had come prepared, knowing exactly where the security cameras were and which doors were reinforced.

They hadn't been ordinary thieves.

They had come specifically for the Cooper family.

And now, someone had apparently tipped them off that the estate would be almost completely unguarded.

My stomach tightened.

This wasn't just an accident.

Someone had known James would take every bodyguard away.

Someone had known my father would be out of the country.

Someone had known my mother and I would be alone.

Michelle.

The name appeared in my mind like a warning bell.

I immediately dismissed it. I had no proof.

In my previous life, I had been so consumed by jealousy and resentment that I had blamed Michelle for everything. I couldn't make the same mistake again.

I looked toward Nathan.

He was standing several feet away, his baseball bat still hanging loosely from one hand.

The arrogance had disappeared from his face.

"Mia..."

I didn't answer.

His eyes dropped to my injured leg, and for the first time, genuine unease crossed his expression.

"I didn't know," he whispered.

I laughed bitterly.

"You didn't know because you didn't want to know."

His jaw tightened.

"I thought James was telling the truth."

"And that gave you the right to break my leg?"

He looked away.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen before answering.

"Hello?"

His expression changed instantly.

"What did you say?"

I watched him turn pale.

"Repeat that."

A few seconds passed.

Then Nathan slowly lowered the phone.

"James has just called me."

I stared at him.

"What does he want?"

"He says Michelle is missing."

My heart stopped.

Nathan continued, "She left the countryside a few hours ago. Her phone was found near the observatory, along with a note."

My blood ran cold.

The same note.

The same accusation.

The same chain of events that had destroyed me in my previous life.

Except this time, it was happening earlier.

"What did the note say?" I asked.

Nathan hesitated.

"James didn't tell me everything. He only said that Michelle wrote your name."

I stared at him in disbelief.

So it had already begun.

The moment Michelle disappeared, everyone would look at me.

Just like before.

Only this time, I wouldn't allow them to turn me into the villain.

I pushed myself upright, ignoring the agony in my leg.

"Take me to the hospital."

Nathan immediately stepped forward.

"You can't walk."

"Then carry me."

He froze.

I looked directly into his eyes.

"My mother is fighting for her life. I'm not staying here while everyone else decides my fate for me."

His expression became complicated.

Finally, he crouched down and carefully lifted me into his arms.

The moment he touched me, I instinctively stiffened.

Once, being held by Nathan had made me feel safe.

Now, all I could remember was the sound of his bat striking my leg.

He noticed my reaction but said nothing.

Outside, several police vehicles were already speeding toward the estate.

As Nathan carried me toward his car, one of the officers approached.

"Miss Cooper, there's something you need to know."

I looked at him.

"We found something unusual at your house."

"What?"

The officer lowered his voice.

"The intruders didn't enter through the main gate."

My eyes narrowed.

"Then how did they get inside?"

"Someone opened the service entrance from the inside."

My heart sank.

An insider.

Someone had deliberately let them in.

The officer handed me a small plastic evidence bag.

Inside was a silver keycard.

"We found this near the service entrance. It's registered to someone in your household."

I stared at the name printed on the evidence label.

Mrs. Mendes.

The housekeeper who James had claimed was at home.

But she had been on leave for a week.

My fingers went cold.

"Officer... where is Mrs. Mendes now?"

"That's the problem," he replied. "We haven't been able to locate her."

A terrible silence settled over us.

Then my phone began vibrating again.

James.

I answered immediately.

"Mia." His voice was no longer cold. For the first time, I heard fear in it.

"Where are you?"

"I'm going to the hospital."

"Mom... is she alive?"

"For now."

He exhaled shakily.

"Mia, I was wrong."

I closed my eyes.

"Yes. You were."

"I didn't know they would actually attack the house."

My eyes snapped open.

"What did you say?"

There was silence on the other end.

"James, how did you know someone would attack us?"

He didn't answer.

"You said you didn't believe me because you thought I was lying. So why did you specifically say they wouldn't attack the house?"

His breathing became uneven.

"Mia, I need to explain—"

"No. You need to tell me the truth."

Before he could respond, another voice came faintly through the phone.

A woman's voice.

Soft, frightened, and unmistakably familiar.

"James... you promised you wouldn't tell her."

My entire body went cold.

Michelle.

She wasn't missing.

She was with my brother.