Cecilia’s pov
"Yes, I am," Nicole nodded nervously.
Harper softened her voice. "I’m Mason’s cousin."
At those words, Nicole’s face transford completely.
Her pupils dilated in terror, her thin body trembling uncontrollably.
Panic, fear, sorrow flashed across her face, followed by a pain so deep that it seed to hollow her out.
"W-why are you here?" Her voice trembled. "I’ve told the police everything... I don’t know anything... I didn’t see anything... Please don’t ask anymore... please stop asking..."
She hugged her knees to her chest as she crouched down, burying her face.
The rest of her words beca inaudible mumbles, a quiet litany of self-reassurance that broke my heart.
I shook my head at Harper. Not now.
Just the re ntion of the boy’s na had triggered such a breakdown - her fragile ntal state couldn’t handle any more questions.
"Nicole, it’s okay. We’re just here to check on you," Harper knelt beside her, speaking in gentle tones as she softly rubbed the girl’s trembling back.
God, she was so thin. Nothing but skin and bones.
Gradually, Nicole’s breathing steadied.
"Could we co inside and sit down?" Harper asked softly.
Nicole nodded but struggled to stand.
Harper helped her up and guided her into the apartnt.
I followed closely behind, with Tang and Levan entering last, closing the door behind them.
In the living room, Harper settled Nicole onto the couch.
I sat down and glanced around, imdiately noticing a strange odor perating the place - sothing like rotting at.
Probably from poor ventilation; all the windows were sealed shut.
Tang surveyed the interior with narrowed eyes while Levan pulled out a face mask and put it on.
"So, Nicole," Harper began, her voice deliberately light as she tried to build a connection. "Is it just you living here? Where’s your family?"
"It was and my grandma," Nicole mumbled, her voice thin and weak. "But she’s... gone now."
Gone?
The word hung in the air, made infinitely more sinister by the foul odor that perated the entire apartnt. Harper’s friendly expression tightened.
A cold dread crept up my own spine.
I saw Levan shift uneasily, inching closer to Tang. But Tang himself was a statue of indifference, arms crossed, casually blowing a bubble with his gum as if we were waiting in a checkout line.
My eyes t Harper’s, a silent alarm passing between us.
Oh, god. It couldn’t be...
"Nicole," I pressed, forcing a calm I didn’t feel into my voice. "Where... where did your grandmother go?"
"My grandma..." Nicole lifted her head slowly.
The angry scar across her face seed to twist in the dim light, making the mont even more unnerving.
My breath hitched. Harper went perfectly still.
"She went to live with my uncle," Nicole said, her voice dropping with a dull disappointnt as she stared at the floor again.
Harper and I both clutched our chests in relief.
That sll had really ssed with our minds.
How could she even stand living with that stench?
Nicole rose and went to the kitchen, returning with several cans of soda which she distributed to everyone before sitting back down. "Thank you for coming to see ."
Harper and I accepted the drinks.
We spent so ti asking about her life and offering words of encouragent.
I ntioned that I could pay for surgery to help reduce her facial scarring.
Nicole brightened visibly at this suggestion, her entire deanor shifting toward optimism.
As the potential benefactor offering to help with her scar, it felt natural to ask how she’d gotten it. Initially reluctant, Nicole gradually opened up under my gentle probing, no doubt influenced by my "generous sponsor" status.
"It was a girl from my high school," she said, glancing nervously at Harper as her hands twisted together. "I know you’re here about Mason. I... I can tell you, but you can’t say it ca from , or I’ll also be..."
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Now we were getting sowhere.
"You can trust us," Harper reassured her. "I just want to know what happened to my poor cousin. If you can tell , I’d be incredibly grateful."
"Okay!" Nicole nodded vigorously, apparently having made so internal decision.
She stared at the coffee table, lost in mories. "It was after final exams that day. The last test ended at 2:30 PM. I was packing my bag to go ho when three classmates blocked my way in the hallway. One of the girls had been targeting because Mason was always nice to . She got worse each ti. I was terrified of her."
"They said they wanted to co hang out with them. I didn’t want to go, but they forced . I rember it was a big house with a garden, not far from school. When we got there, they made call Mason to co over. When I refused, she... she..." Nicole’s voice caught. "She had two guys start to... to take my clothes off, and they were going to..."
Her emotional control began slipping again.
Harper and I listened with mounting anger.
This wasn’t just bullying - it was sothing far more sinister.
Nicole covered her face as she cried. "I didn’t want to! They took my phone and forced to call him. I was so scared, so terrified..."
Harper pulled her into a comforting embrace. "Anyone would be scared in that situation. It wasn’t your fault."
After a mont, Nicole continued, her voice steadier: "Then Mason ca. He told them to let go. The girl said she would only release if he agreed to date her. Mason refused - he didn’t like her. She was the one who kept harassing him."
"They started arguing. He made her furious, and she took all her rage out on . She hit , cut my face with a knife, then had those two guys drag to another room."
"When I finally endured that hell, it was completely dark outside. I couldn’t walk. They dumped at a street corner. So man passing by took to the hospital."
"After that... Mason disappeared."
"I don’t know what happened to him then. I wanted to tell the teachers, report it to the police, but people ca to warn not to say anything, to drop out of school, or my whole family wouldn’t survive."
"It’s my fault Mason is gone. If he hadn’t co to save , if he’d just ignored , he wouldn’t have..."
She couldn’t finish the sentence, dissolving into broken sobs.
Harper and I exchanged aningful glances. The picture was becoming clear.
Cici had used Nicole as bait to lure Mason, then murdered him.
Unable to have the boy she wanted, she destroyed both him and the girl he cared about.
Nicole survived, but the trauma inflicted on her was worse than death - physical and ntal wounds that would never heal, compounded by crushing guilt.
Cici had been just a teenager then, but already so monstrously cruel!
"Nicole," I leaned forward, looking directly into her eyes, "if you had a chance now to get justice - for yourself and for Mason - would you take it?"
Nicole stared back through tear-filled eyes, frozen for a long mont before shaking her head fearfully. "Her family is powerful. We can’t win against them."
"How will you know if you don’t try?" I challenged her. "Is hiding and living in misery forever really better than fighting back? What could be worse than what you’re going through now?"
Harper added, "If it fails, that’s on us. But if we succeed, you can start over. You have your whole life ahead of you, Nicole."
Nicole’s breathing quickened as she twisted her fingers anxiously, clearly engaged in an intense internal struggle.
Finally, her gaze hardened with determination."What do I need to do?"
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