C536 Confession

Laura drove in silence, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. For several minutes, she said nothing, allowing her thoughts to consume her. Eventually, she could no longer hold back her emotions. She pulled the car over to the side of the road, rested her hands on the steering wheel, and broke down in tears. "Alicia, I'm sorry," she whispered. "All of this happened because of me. I caused you so much pain, and now you've been taken because of something I did. I'll make things right, I promise. I only hope they aren't torturing you for a crime you didn't commit." She wiped her face, took a shaky breath, and reached for her phone. For a moment, she stared at the Lions' group chat, remembering everything they had experienced together. From the first day they met, they had become more than friends. They had become her family. She began typing. "Everyone, from the first day we met as a group, I knew I had found my family. People who understood me, people who had walked a similar path and understood the struggles I had faced. Before joining the Lions, I remember feeling guilty about what happened to Mike and how my actions contributed to his imprisonment. I remember our picnic, our shopping trips, and the day we watched a movie together. Those moments meant more to me than I can explain. Thank you all for welcoming me into this family. Thank you for forgiving me for my past mistakes and giving me a chance to become a better person. It has been a wonderful experience being part of the Lions, and I will always be grateful for every moment we shared. Thank you for everything." Laura read the message one last time before sending it. Then she placed her phone down, started the engine, and drove towards the Gupta family residence. She had made her decision.

At the Mooney residence, I was still searching through the recordings from our communication devices, desperately hoping to find something that could help us locate Alicia. After several unsuccessful attempts, I finally managed to access the footage. Just as I was about to examine it, my phone vibrated. I glanced at the screen and saw a new message from Laura in the Lions' group chat. Chris, who had been sitting beside me, noticed my sudden pause. "What is it?" he asked, looking confused. I quickly opened the message. As I read through Laura's words, I froze. Something about the message felt wrong. It wasn't simply an expression of gratitude. The way she spoke about the Lions, the way she thanked everyone, and the way she seemed to be saying goodbye made my heart sink. I knew Laura well enough to recognise that something was happening. "Laura, don't overthink this," I immediately typed. "It's not your fault. We'll find Alicia." I sent the message and stared at my screen, hoping she would read it before doing anything reckless. But I couldn't shake the feeling that she had already made up her mind. At the hospital, the other Lions had also received Laura's message. Everyone frowned as they read it, wondering why she had suddenly decided to thank them for everything they had done together.

Amanda, in particular, was unsettled. She was still trying to understand Laura's strange behaviour in the corridor earlier. Laura's emotional words, her sudden embrace, and the kiss she had given her continued to trouble her. Now, this message only made things worse. A moment later, my reply appeared in the group chat. Several messages followed as the others began asking what was happening. Amanda looked at Samantha, Faith, and Sarah before speaking. "What does this mean? Why is Laura talking as though she's saying goodbye to everyone?" But I was too busy with the recordings to respond immediately. Chris took the phone and answered on my behalf. "Laura is blaming herself for what happened to Alicia." Sarah frowned. "Laura, if you're reading this, you need to understand something. You did what you did because you wanted to avenge your father. You don't have to keep punishing yourself for it." Chris quickly added another message. "We spoke to Victor. He checked Alicia's life candle, and he confirmed that it's still burning normally. He believes Alicia is alive, so Laura, please don't blame yourself. We will find her." Amanda stared at the messages, her concern deepening. She knew Laura had a complicated past, but she had never imagined that Laura would blame herself so deeply for Alicia's disappearance. She picked up her phone and began typing a message of her own, hoping that Laura would respond. But Laura was no longer reading the group chat. She was already on her way to the Gupta family residence. Laura drove steadily until she reached the Gupta family compound. The guards recognised her, and after a brief exchange, she was allowed inside. She didn't waste any time. She drove straight to the third villa, where Miller and Victor were still seated.

The moment Laura entered, the conversations stopped. Everyone Both men turn towards her, surprised to see her. Victor immediately noticed the tears on her face. "Laura, are you all right?" She wiped away the remaining tears and stood before them. "No. I'm not." Her voice was steady, but the pain in her eyes was unmistakable. She took a deep breath. "I'm the one who killed Samson. I did it to avenge my father. Now Tell Hanna to release her. I am confessing my crimes." The room fell silent. Victor stared at her, struggling to process what she had just said. Miller, who had buried his son only hours earlier, looked as though the ground had shifted beneath his feet. "What?" he demanded. "You killed my son?" He pushed his wheelchair towards her. "All this time, we believed Alicia was responsible. Are you telling me that it was you?" Laura nodded. "Yes. It was me." Victor barely reacted to the confession. His mind was fixed on something else Laura had said. She had come all the way here to confess but then her last words about Alicia did not settle well. Victor stepped forward, his expression suddenly serious. "What happened to Alicia? Earlier, her husband called me, but he wouldn't explain anything. Now you've arrived here, confessing to killing Samson and asking Hanna to release Alicia." He searched Laura's face. "Tell me the truth. Is Alicia all right?" Laura shook her head. "Hanna took her. I came here to confess because I want Hanna to release her. Please tell her what I've told you. I killed Samson, not Alicia. Hanna must not hurt her."

Miller shook his head in disbelief. "So you really killed my son. But why? What did Samson ever do to you to deserve such a heartless attack? Did you even know anything about the kind of man he was?" Laura looked directly at him. "I came here prepared to accept whatever punishment you believe I deserve. If you want to ask me questions, I'll answer them. But before you judge me, I want you to answer one question of your own." She paused, her voice trembling with emotion. "What did my father do to deserve being gunned down outside his workplace?" Nobody answered. Laura continued. "I'm married. I live with my in-laws, and my father lived alone. He had no idea that I had joined Alicia to help her seek revenge for her mother's death. He wasn't involved in any of this." Her eyes filled with tears again. "But Hanna killed him anyway." She took a shaky breath before continuing. "She took my father from me, so I decided to take her father from her. That was the game she chose to play, and I returned it to her." Miller and Victor exchanged a long, troubled glance. They had expected many things when Laura walked into the villa, but they had not expected her to confess to Samson's murder or to explain it as an act of revenge for her own father's death. For a moment, neither man spoke. Laura, however, had no intention of allowing the conversation to drift away from the reason she had come. "Will you tell Hanna to release Alicia or not?" Her voice rose with desperation. "Time is running out. I don't know what she's doing to Alicia right now. She could be torturing her, or she could be planning to kill her while we're standing here talking."

Laura stepped closer to Miller and Victor. "I killed Samson. If someone must be punished, punish me. If you want to kill me for what I did, then do it. I'll accept the consequences of my actions." She wiped her tears and looked at them pleadingly. "But Alicia cannot suffer for something she didn't do. She has already lost her son, and now she's been taken because Hanna believes she killed her father. Please, don't allow another innocent person to pay for my revenge." The room remained silent. Laura had come to the Gupta family ready to surrender herself, hoping that her confession would be enough to save her friend. But as she stood before the two men, she realised that admitting the truth would not necessarily bring Alicia home.