Bab 175: ~Hellbound~

Derek kissed on Paulina's cheek tenderly.

Yet, the persistent game of hide and seek, the dance between recognition and doubt, became a weight too heavy to bear.

"I'm going to my room," I declared, breaking the invisible threads that bound me to the unfolding narrative.

"Why? Is there anything wrong?" Derek inquired, his concern evident in the furrow of his brows.

"I'm okay, just a little sleepy," I replied, the words a feeble attempt to cloak the mounting confusion within me. I ascended the stairs, each step a deliberate movement away from the enigma that held the resort in its grip.

As I walked away, I turned my gaze back to the scene below. Derek and Ethan engaged in conversation, the casual exchange of words belying the underlying tension that lingered in the air.

I looked at Ethan.

Thoughts raced through my mind—was he truly Paul, hidden behind a facade of indifference? Or, as Derek insisted, was it someone entirely different?