METAMORPHOSIS - PART 6 (Patreon)

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Part 6: The Truth

Three days passed in a flash, despite the boredom that plagued Quan Law, who had nothing else to do in this mansion. On the final evening, Haze Thomas returned. Quan Law did not come down to greet him. He no longer had the patience to continue this charade. But Haze Thomas was not angry. He simply walked straight into the bedroom, took off his vest, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You look a little lifeless,” Haze Thomas asked gently, yet his tone betrayed no emotion.

Quan Law did not reply. Haze Thomas watched him for a long moment before reaching out and pulling him closer. Quan Law stiffened. The firm hand of Haze Thomas rested on his waist, the warmth of his body seeping into every tensed muscle. Quan Law could smell the mix of sweat and cologne on him; it seemed Haze Thomas had rushed back the moment his plane landed. But that did not move him. On the contrary, the pressure he had been suppressing surged once more. Haze Thomas's control had returned. No violence. No coercion. Quan Law drew in a quiet breath, struggling to keep calm.

“Are you afraid of me?” Haze Thomas asked, his voice low and deep.

Quan Law did not reply. Haze Thomas chuckled, his fingers gliding lightly along the silk dress’s neckline on Quan Law’s shoulder, “You've truly changed, Thalia Lee.”

Quan Law closed his eyes. It seemed Haze Thomas did not know yet. He had not realized it. He still believed the “woman” before him was his future wife. But surely, he already knew that Quan Law intended to escape from here.

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Two in the morning, Quan Law opened his eyes. Darkness enveloped the room, leaving only the steady sound of Haze Thomas’s breathing beside him. Unlike the first days, Quan Law could now sleep next to Haze Thomas, but it was never for long, never with dreams. He slipped out of bed, each step so light it barely made a sound. If escape was impossible… at the very least, he had to uncover the truth.

Memories from a few months ago led him back to the very room where he first met Thalia Lee, the place where their foolish, deceitful interview had taken place. Hidden deep within the mansion, the dark door remained shut, as if it had never been opened since she vanished. Even Quan Law himself had no idea what purpose this room served in the mansion, but he hoped to find some clue.

He slipped his hand into the gap of the door and tried the handle. It was unlocked. His heart pounded. He stepped inside, gently closing the door behind him.

The room was vast yet cold. The furniture remained exactly as it was in his memory. The only thing missing was that woman, Thalia Lee. He began his search. Luck smiled upon him once more, though he wasn’t sure if it could truly be called luck. He found a silver USB drive carelessly discarded near the corner of the room.

He had no idea what was inside the USB, yet the moment he picked it up, Quan Law felt frozen in place. It felt as if an invisible rope had tightened around his neck. His instincts told him the truth was certainly inside. A trace Thalia Lee had left behind. Something he was never meant to know. He clenched the USB tightly, took a deep breath. There was no other choice. He had to know the truth. Regardless of whether that truth would completely destroy what remained of him.

⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Three in the morning, Quan Law returned to the bedroom of Haze Thomas. He was still sleeping soundly, his breathing steady, one arm loosely draped over the empty part of the bed, the spot where Quan Law should have been. Quan Law did not dare look at him for too long.

He took the laptop and placed it on the table, turning it on in silence. This laptop had been given to him by Haze Thomas out of concern that he might grow bored. However, all Internet activities were monitored; Haze Thomas never said it outright, but a former programmer like Quan Law still knew. But that didn’t matter. Using a USB didn’t require an Internet connection.

With trembling hands, Quan Law plugged the USB into the port. The screen flickered to life. A single folder appeared. RECORDINGS. Quan Law double clicked on it. A list of audio files appeared. No titles, only meaningless strings of numbers. He opened the first file. He already knew its contents, it was nothing other than the previous interview between him and Thalia Lee. Quan Law opened the second file.

“You know you don't like me, but I believe that one day, I will change to be worthy of you. Do you believe in me, Haze Thomas?” It was Thalia Lee’s real voice. But now, his own voice was hardly any different from hers.

Haze Thomas replied, his deep and steady voice the same one Quan Law had grown familiar with over the past few months, “I believe you. If I have agreed to marry you, that is the least of what I am obligated to do.”

A long silence followed. Then Thalia Lee’s voice rang out again, this time with a hint of coldness, “But if one day, I have changed, will you still accept this wife of yours?”

Haze Thomas laughed, “A person cannot simply change just because they want to. But that doesn’t matter. Rest assured, I will take responsibility for you, no matter how much you change, even to the point where I no longer recognize you.”

“Yes, I hope you will still believe in me.”

The audio file stopped. A chill ran down Quan Law’s spine. Damn it! She had planned this all along. She had tested Haze Thomas. She wanted to know, if someone else took her place, would he notice? And Quan Law still remembered every word he had said, “no matter.” His chest tightened. Could he interpret that to mean that even if Haze Thomas discovered Thalia Lee’s deception, he would still accept it?

Quan Law no longer had the mind to keep listening. By now, he was certain that Thalia Lee had deliberately left this USB behind to break him mentally. He randomly clicked on another file, his mind no longer clear.

“Are you sure that's okay?” A strange man's voice rang out. Quan Law didn't recognize it.

But Thalia Lee's voice was unmistakable, “He won’t know.”

The man chuckled, “Is my woman being a little too confident?”

“It’s not confidence. It’s just that he doesn’t care about a marriage of convenience.”

“What if things don’t go as planned?”

“Someone will die.”

“Who?”

“Then the one who dies will be ‘Thalia Lee,’ who else?”

“What about us?”

“With the money we steal from Haze Thomas, I believe the two of us can live together for the rest of our lives under new identities.”

“Are you willing to let go of the career you’ve built for so long?”

“There’s nothing to regret! That entire cosmetics company isn’t even worth Haze Thomas’s spare change.”

“If he's that rich, why would he agree to a marriage of convenience?”

“It was arranged by our parents, not his choice. Oh, and by the way, I know you're listening. I just want to say, ‘Good luck!’”

“What are you talking about?”

“Just a greeting to the new ‘Thalia Lee.’”

The audio file stopped. Quan Law couldn't breathe. So, Thalia Lee had stolen a huge sum of money from Haze Thomas and fled with her lover under a new identity. She would be safe; the only one suffering the consequences would be Quan Law. He was nothing more than a pawn sacrificed in her place. Not only was he forced to impersonate her, but he was also meant to die in her stead if the truth came out. That was why, in the previous recording, she had insisted so much on making Haze Thomas trust her. “Trust me, even if I have stolen a fortune from you...” Damn it!

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He couldn't stay here. He had to find another way to escape! But just as the thought began to form, a voice behind him sent a chill of terror down his spine.

“Oh, what are you doing, Thalia Lee?”

The blood in Quan Law's veins turned to ice. He slowly turned his head. Haze Thomas had been standing there for who knew how long. His eyes were dark. Quan Law’s hands trembled. He wondered, how much had Haze Thomas heard? Had he already figured out all the crucial details?

PART 7 >>