Lucas stands alone, replaying Lea’s recent anger and cryptic behavior. He senses the danger Lea could pose, realizing that her involvement is far more complex and threatening than he first assumed. His mind races as he considers that Lea might be capable of extreme measures to protect herself, even if it means implicating him. The thought of the buried body nags at him, stirring doubts about how secure his secrets really are.

  Lucas felt the weight of his situation growing heavier with every passing moment. Lea’s sudden volatility and the lingering threat of exposure made him realize that every loose end was a potential danger. He had to protect himself—and fast. The need to hide the evidence as thoroughly as possible gripped him, and he knew that simply burying it wasn’t enough.

  His gaze shifted to the small garage at the side of his house. The garage floor, a patchy layer of compacted mud, would never stand up to scrutiny if someone decided to dig deeper—literally or figuratively. A permanent solution would be to cover it with a concrete floor, something that would bury any secrets beneath a hard, unbreakable surface. He had no time to waste.

  But before the concrete could be poured, he’d need to clear out the space. His old car, a relic of his past, sat in the cramped garage, taking up precious room. Lucas knew he’d have to remove it temporarily to make way for the work.

  After considering his options, Lucas picked up his phone and called his friend Mark, who owned a garage just outside the city. Mark was reliable and discreet, a quality Lucas valued right now more than ever. “Mark, it’s Lucas. I need a favor,” he said, his voice steady but urgent. “Can you come by in a 3 to 4 hours to take my old car off my hands for a bit? Just for a couple of weeks.”

  Once Mark agreed to pick up the car, Lucas immediately reached out to a local construction crew. After a brief conversation about the job, he requested them to start work after 4-5 hours giving him enough time to prepare everything.

  After leaving Lucas’s house in a surge of frustration, Lea returned directly to her hotel. She entered her room, locked the door, and paused to stare at her reflection in the mirror. Her mind drifted back to memories of her husband. His name was Marcus. She recalled the night they met at her friend’s party. Marcus, a well-dressed and successful businessman, had an aura that immediately captivated her. Despite the undeniable differences between them—her free spirit contrasting with his meticulous nature—she found herself drawn to his confidence and composure. It felt thrilling, like stepping into a world far different from her own. Soon after, they were married.

  Yet, the spark didn’t last. Their relationship grew strained as Marcus’s controlling tendencies emerged, stifling the independence Lea so valued. Each attempt to discuss separation turned into an argument, with Marcus refusing to entertain the thought of divorce. This resistance only fueled Lea’s frustration, her desire for freedom clashing against Marcus’s unyielding refusal to let go.

  In this turbulent period of Lea’s life, she met Mike, a colleague who quickly became more than just a friend. Their connection was undeniable, a much-needed escape from the control and rigidity Marcus imposed. Lea and Mike fell deeply in love, yet their happiness was overshadowed by Marcus’s refusal to grant a divorce. After countless pleas and sleepless nights, Lea grew increasingly frustrated, and the couple felt cornered.

  Determined to be together, they reached a breaking point. After exhaustive planning and dark deliberations, Lea and Mike decided to remove Marcus from their lives entirely. They orchestrated a scheme that would not only eliminate Marcus but also pin the blame on an unsuspecting third party. They needed a perfect scapegoat—someone they assumed wouldn’t suspect a thing and couldn’t fight back.

  Their plan seemed flawless until it intersected with Lucas’s path. Unlike anyone they’d ever encountered, Lucas was intuitive and sharp, unwilling to act predictably. Instead of reporting the crime, he buried the body on his own, unraveling Lea and Mike’s carefully laid plans. Suddenly, what they thought would be a clean break spiraled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse, and they found themselves entangled in a battle of wits with a formidable opponent.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Lost in these reflections, Lea was startled by a sudden knock at her door, interrupting her spiral of memories. Her heart raced--- who could be visiting her room so late, and what did they want?

  When she opened the door, she was surprised to see a man with his face covered. She realized it was Mike. She glanced up and down the hallway, then gestured for him to come inside.

  Lea: (closing the door) "Mike... what are you doing here? You could be recognized."

  Mike: (shrugging, removing the covering from his face) "Had to see you, Lea. Things are… different than we expected. We need to talk."

  Lea sighed, brushing her hand across her forehead as she sat down. Mike followed her, lowering himself into a chair across from her.

  Lea: "Different? We had it planned, Mike. We chose him because he seemed like the perfect target. How could it go this wrong?"

  Mike: (grimly) "That’s just it. We chose Lucas because he seemed like the type to panic, call the police, make a mess of things. But look at him—he's far from the average guy."

  Lea: (nodding, worried) "He didn’t call anyone. No mess-ups. I didn’t think... he’d be so meticulous."

  Mike: "Exactly. He’s not just going to break under the pressure. Lucas… he’s different. Clever, maybe too clever for us."

  They exchanged a tense look, each processing the implications.

  Lea: (sighing) "So what now? If he isn’t going to make mistakes, that leaves us exposed."

  Mike: "That’s why I’m here. You need to go see him again."

  Lea: (nervously) "What? No, Mike. He’s already suspicious. If I push too hard, he’ll figure things out."

  Mike: (leaning forward, insistent) “Listen, Lea, if Marcus stays missing for too long without us doing anything, his family will notice. They’ll start asking questions. They already suspect we’re on bad terms. We have to get ahead of this.”

  Lea: (uncertain) “You mean... file a police report? Are you serious?”

  Mike: (nodding) “Yes. If we don’t, Marcus’s family will, and we’ll lose control of the whole story. If we go to the police first, we can act like we’re in the dark, like we’re worried about him. That’s the only way to keep up appearances.”

  Lea hesitates, knowing Mike is right but dreading the plan.

  Mike: “But before we go to the police, you need to visit Lucas again and find out exactly where he hid the body. That’s crucial, Lea. If we know the exact location, we can make sure nothing leads back to us.”

  Lea: (sighing, reluctant) “And what if he won’t tell me? What if he realizes what I’m after?”

  Mike: (firmly) “Then we’ll figure something else out. But for now, go. Make it seem casual, pretend you’re feeling guilty or... or worried about him. Do whatever it takes, but find out where Marcus is. The last thing we need is a surprise.”

  Lea looks away, deep in thought, but nods reluctantly, finally agreeing to the plan. She knows it’s risky, but realizes that Mike’s right—this is their only way to control the story.

  Three and a half hours had passed since Lucas had called his friend, Mark, asking him to pick up his old, junk-filled car. When Mark finally arrived, Lucas had the vehicle packed to appear like an ordinary storage car, with the backseat filled with junk, and other miscellaneous garage items. As Mark approached, Lucas greeted him with a nod and a smile.

  Lucas: "Thanks for coming, Mark. I owe you one."

  Mark: (grins) "Not a problem. You know I love this old beast." He glances at the car filled with clutter. "Looks like you’re clearing out the whole garage."

  Lucas: (chuckling) "Yeah, trying to make some room in there. Just hold onto it for a bit—maybe a few weeks or a month—until I get everything in order."

  Mark: (nods) "No worries. It’s safe with me. Whenever you’re ready, just give me a call, and I’ll bring it back."

  They shake hands, and Mark drives off, leaving Lucas feeling a little more at ease, knowing the car is safely out of the way.

  Once Mark is gone, Lucas wastes no time and calls the construction crew, urging them to start the concrete work in the garage. By 11:30 a.m., they arrive, setting up materials and beginning the job under Lucas’s watchful eye.

  As the crew works steadily, Lucas looks up and sees Lea standing a short distance away, observing the scene with an intense, curious expression. She catches his eye but says nothing. Her gaze shifts to the construction workers before her expression hardens, a strange look crossing her face. Without a word, she turns and quickly walks away, leaving Lucas standing there, a knot of suspicion forming in his stomach.

  As Lea turned and hurried away without a word, Lucas felt a chill creeping through him. Her expression had been intense, her gaze lingering on the workers and the freshly dug ground. Did she suspect the truth? Could she know what was hidden beneath? The thought gnawed at him, stirring up an unshakeable feeling of dread.

  With each step Lea took further from his house, Lucas’s worry deepened. What if she guessed? What if she knows? He couldn’t shake the fear that she had put the pieces together and was plotting her next move, her silence concealing an agenda he couldn’t yet see.

  The tension within him spiked when, amidst his swirling thoughts, he remembered something else—his lost phone. He hadn’t seen it since the previous night, and now a frightening thought struck him: Could Lea have taken it? If she had it, she could use it against him, maybe even plant it somewhere that would implicate him in a way he couldn’t defend.

  The need to retrieve it gnawed at him, filling him with an urgency that almost made him abandon the work underway in the garage. Yet, he couldn’t risk drawing attention by leaving the crew alone. Frustrated but resolved, he forced himself to wait, his eyes fixated on the ticking minutes, counting down until he could finally slip away and search for his phone.

  His mind raced with possibilities, envisioning the forest nearby, places Lea might have hidden it to lead him into a trap. Every minute stretched his patience thin, as he grew more desperate to find the device before it was too late.

  To be continue........