CHAPTER SIXTEEN. One time is an anomaly. Two times is a coincidence. Three times is -

Vienna pulled out her phone, her fingers moving quickly over the screen as she called Ashley.

"Vee? Are you okay? Anything wrong?"

"Come to the gardens," she said the moment he picked up. "And bring the pen I gave you."

There was a pause on the other end. "The pen?" Ashley's voice was confused, but he didn't argue. "Yeah, okay. I'll be there in a minute."

As Vienna ended the call, she glanced at Karissa's broken mirror again, a strange unease settling in her chest.

Helena, who had been watching with a skeptical expression, finally spoke. "Pen? Why are you so concerned about a pen?"

Vienna hesitated before answering, her gaze flickering between Karissa and Emmet. "It's from the same brand. Saint Evangeline. It has the same logo as Rissa's mirror."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Before anyone could respond, Ashley appeared, his dark hoodie pulled over his head, his hands shoved into his pockets. He didn't look like he had been sleeping much lately. Without a word, he pulled the pen from his pocket and held it out toward Vienna.

"What's this about?" he asked, looking between them.

Vienna reached for the pen, turning it over in her hands. It was sleek and expensive, a deep navy blue with gold detailing. The Saint Evangeline logo was small but unmistakable, etched near the clip.

"It's the same," she murmured. "Same brand, same engraving. What if—"

She tried to snap the pen in half, but it barely bent. The plastic casing was stronger than it looked. Frustrated, she passed it to Emmet, who took it without hesitation.

"Let me."

With a sharp crack, he snapped the pen in two.

Something small tumbled onto Vienna's palm. A tiny, pulsing object.

A tracker.

The same one from Karissa's mirror.

Ashley took a step back, his eyes wide. "What the fuck?"

Everyone was frozen, staring at the tiny device like it was a live bomb.

"Why is there a tracker in your pen?" Karissa asked, her voice hushed.

Ashley shook his head, clearly rattled. "I—I don't know. Vienna gave it to me a while ago. She said it was just a cool pen."

Vienna clenched her jaw. "I didn't know it had a tracker in it. It was a gift from my aunt. She buys expensive stuff without thinking."

But that didn't change the fact that now there were two trackers.

One in Karissa's mirror. One in Vienna's pen.

And both of their names had been in Lucas's notebook.

Karissa turned toward Helena, her grip tightening on the notebook. "Do you have anything of Saint Evangeline's?"

Helena shook her head immediately. "Nothing. I threw everything Lucas gave me away." She hesitated for a second before adding, "Except the necklace where we found... the photos." Her voice wavered, the weight of those words hanging in the air. "And that's gone now too."

Silence settled between them, heavy and suffocating. Karissa exhaled sharply, flipping through the notebook again. Each page was filled with initials—letters that now seemed to pulse with new meaning. Some she recognized. Girls she had heard about in passing, names whispered in the halls.

Her stomach twisted.

She turned to Vienna. "Tell me..." Her voice was steady, but something dark flickered in her eyes. "Did he ever try—" She hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Example, uh—drugging you?"

The moment the question left her lips, Emmet shifted beside her. His hand brushed against her arm, a silent reassurance.

Vienna's eyes widened in shock. "No! Never!"

A slow exhale left Karissa's lips, but the unease didn't leave her.

Then, almost as if she already knew the answer, she turned to Helena.

"Hele?"

Helena didn't respond right away. Instead, her gaze dropped to the ground, her arms wrapping around herself. The silence stretched.

Then, barely above a whisper—

"I don't know."

Karissa's breath caught in her throat.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Vienna's voice was small, hesitant.

Helena let out a shaky breath. "There were nights—after parties—where things got... hazy. Like I was there, but not really there. I thought I just drank too much, but now..." Her voice broke. "I don't know."

Karissa stood up abruptly, her chest rising and falling with sharp, uneven breaths. "Jesus Christ." She dragged her hands through her hair, gripping at the roots as if she needed something to ground her. "He's not just dealing. He's using girls. I think I'm going to vomit."

Vienna hugged herself, just realizing how chilly the night had become. She rubbed her arms for warmth, but it wasn't enough. Without a word, Ashley shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. She didn't protest—just pulled it tighter around herself.

A sudden thought cut through Helena's haze of horror. She glanced around, suddenly alert. "Wait... where is Gwen?"

Emmet scoffed, leaning back against the bench with his arms crossed. "I do not trust that girl. Not one bit."

Karissa sighed, flipping to the notebook again. They had to stay focused. They had to make sense of this before they lost control of it completely.

She started listing what they knew, her highlighter scratching against the paper as she wrote:

Karissa: Bracelet found at crime scene Vienna: Photos Helena: Ex-girlfriend Ashley: Had proof of drug dealing Emmet: No alibi? Gwen: ??

She tapped her pen against Gwen's name. "I don't know why they suspect you, Emmet," she admitted, looking up at him.

Emmet let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "My father."

Vienna frowned. "Your father?"

Emmet exhaled, running a hand through his already-messy hair. "Lucas' father and mine knew each other. Let's just say they didn't get along. At all." He glanced at Karissa. "My dad won a case against Lucas' dad a few years ago, and Lucas—being the golden boy, the daddy's perfect heir—tried to take it out on me. Picked fights. Spread rumors. And now, guess what? He's dead, and suddenly I look like the perfect suspect."

The group fell into silence, the weight of it all settling over them.

Ashley finally spoke, his voice cautious. "But Gwen?" He looked at Helena. "You said her family was close to Lucas'?"

Helena nodded slowly. "Really close. Almost like they were part of his family. I mean, I never really questioned it before, but now..." She trailed off, biting her lip.

Karissa stared down at the notebook, her stomach twisting. Something was missing. Something big.

Helena's phone rang abruptly, pulling her from the group's tense silence. She glanced at the screen, seeing Maeva's name flash across it.

"Girl! Where the hell were you?!" Maeva's voice came through loud and clear. "I've been trying to call you for half an hour!"

Helena's brows furrowed as she glanced down at her phone. "No? My phone just rang here." She looked up at the others, but they were all still staring at the notebook, deep in thought.

Maeva's voice was frantic on the other end. "Is Karissa okay?"

Helena quickly turned her gaze to Karissa, who was still clutching the paper tightly in her hands, her knuckles white. Karissa nodded, but there was something unreadable in her expression.

Helena answered, her voice cautious. "Yeah, why?"

Maeva didn't wait for an answer, her voice still panicked. "You can't see the notification? The watcher just texted."

Before Helena could respond, her phone pinged—the unmistakable sound of another new message from The Watcher.

RUMOR HAS IT: Karissa, the girl who made everyone think she was innocent, didn't just sleep with Lucas? She might have killed him too. After all, no one really knows what happened at that Halloween party, right? Who else would have the motive? Who else would want to shut him up? Looks like the golden boy had a thing for our sweet Karissa—and we all know how secrets like that end.

Be careful there Emmet ....

Karissa's hand trembled as she lowered her phone, her face drained of color. Her heart felt like it was sinking, breaking under the weight of the accusation.

Emmet immediately dropped down to his knees in front of her, reaching for her trembling hands. "Look at me. Look at me." His voice was urgent, commanding. "You don't let this motherfucker bring you down. Okay? None of us believe this shit!"

His gaze turned toward the others, his expression fierce. "And if they do, fuck them. All."

Karissa tried to steady her breath, but her chest heaved, and her breathing grew shallow. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "I... I can't breathe..."

Emmet cursed under his breath, his hand pressing to her chest, his voice softening with concern. "Karissa, look at me. Breathe, okay? I'm not going anywhere. Just focus on me." He turned to the others, anger flashing in his eyes. "You don't know the whole truth."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how harsh they sounded. He softened, his voice low. "Please... I'm not trying to make things worse, but this isn't just about rumors. You have no idea how much Karissa's been through."

Helena's voice was shaky, her breath catching in her throat. "Of course I don't suspect a thing." She took a deep breath, her face pale. "But... What if they're trying to trap her?"

Ashley stood, fists clenched by his sides. "Well, we go talk to Ginny. She might have something, something that could explain all this—get us a damn clue."

Emmet didn't respond right away. Instead, he gently scooped Karissa into his arms, lifting her as though she weighed nothing. She clung to him instinctively, her face pressed against his chest.

"Emmet—" Karissa's voice was barely a whisper. She was still fighting to breathe, the air in her lungs feeling too thick, too tight.

"Shh," Emmet murmured softly, his tone the gentlest it had been all night. "I've got you. I'm not letting anything happen to you."

Without waiting another second, he started rushing toward the door, his pace quick, urgent.

"Wait!" Helena called out, but Emmet didn't stop.

"Just go talk to Ginny," he shot back, his voice tight with frustration. "She'll know what to do."

As Emmet barreled through the garden, the others watched in silence, the weight of the moment settling over them. The Watcher's message hung in the air like a suffocating fog. Could they really trust anyone at this point? Were they all just pawns in someone's twisted game?

The night was far from over.

EJONA SPEAKS !!

Another chapter here wohoo Honestly i feel so bad for my babies! I fucking hate the watcher ugh Also this is only act one hehe