To say I slept horribly last night would have been an understatement. Every time I closed my eyes, I was greeted by one of two scenarios: Adrian, lifeless on the ground beside my own corpse, and watching Mom die by Ross's hand. Over and over, again and again, until my alarm clock jolted me awake the next morning.

A sinking feeling took root in my stomach as I got dressed and walked downstairs. Dad greeted me with a smile, but it quickly faded as he noticed the expression on my face.

Before he could say or do anything, however, the doorbell rang. I walked to the door, opening it with a shaking hand, and was greeted by a envelope sealed and addressed to me. A terrible stillness took over my body as I slowly opened the envelope, a letter with big black letters staring back at me.

'Bella, if you're reading this, then it means my message was successfully delivered. Now, let's get down to business. A little bird told me that you've started seeing someone. Adrian, isn't it?'

I couldn't breathe. My chest tightened, stealing all the breath from my lungs. Tears formed in my eyes, but I blinked them away as I forced myself to keep reading.

'Anyway, if you want to see him again, meet me at a warehouse in town. You'll know which one it is when you see it. I'd hurry if I were you.'

The letter was unsigned, but I knew who it was from. The stillness was quickly replaced by red-hot anger. I flinched when I felt Dad's hand on my shoulder. His face was deathly pale as I looked up at him. He didn't know about Adrian, but the expression on his face told me he knew exactly where Dan was talking about.

He opened his mouth, presumably to talk me out of it, but I shook my head. "No," I said, surprised to find my heart pounding. "He could be hurt- or worse." I swallowed hard before continuing. "He needs help now." My legs were shaking as I stood, grabbing my phone.

I was halfway to the door before I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned toward Dad, surprised to see malice in his gaze. "Make them pay, Bella. Do whatever you have to do, but make sure they pay for what they did." I only nodded before walking outside, closing the door behind me. The sky was overcast, dark clouds looming over me with every step I took.

Before I even neared the warehouse, snarling could be heard. I launched into a run, fear making my hands shake, stopping only when a familiar face came into view. Dan was in front of me, a cruel smile on his face. "I see you got my letter." The malice in his tone was clear as day.

I stepped forward, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Before I could so much as open my mouth, however, footsteps could be heard as a figure appeared a few yards ahead of me, pushed forward by someone else. My heart stopped as his face became clear. Adrian.

He was deathly pale, sweat beading on his forehead. What drew my attention, however, were the twin bite marks on either arm. I stumbled backwards, terror stealing my ability to speak.

Whirling around, I came face-to-face with Dan, the cruel smile still on his face. "Is this some kind of payback?" I screamed, not caring who heard me. "Is it still about that night?" His expression didn't shift, though I knew he realised what I meant.

He walked up to me, voice deadly soft as he spoke. "Your mother always hated us. Who's to say she didn't orchestrate that attack?"

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing. "Her own sister was killed in a car crash that same night. She was miles away. Do you really believe she could've done that?"

He shook his head. "We're done talking. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to watch your boyfriend die."

My eyes widened as I whirled around to Adrian. He was leaning against a pillar, breathing heavily. I ran to him, wrapping an arm around my shoulder, grunting softly at his weight. Somehow, we arrived back at home. Dad took one look at Adrian and sprung into action, taking his weight off me and bringing him over to the couch.

Adrian's eyes were closed as I sat across from him, taking his clammy hand in mine. "Can you help him?" I asked Dad, my voice breaking.

He looked at Adrian, then at me. "Get some sleep, Bella. I'll do the best I can."

Protests formed on my tongue, each dying the moment it formed. It took all of my energy to walk upstairs to my bedroom. Silent tears rolled down my cheeks as I laid in bed, unable to sleep. My body, however, finally succumbed to its need for sleep around midnight.

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