Page 29 of Symphony for Lies (Tangled Truths #2)

That evening, I sat curled up on Zane’s couch, my eyes locked on my phone as the seconds ticked down to my call with Bella Carter.

Zane sat beside me. His expression was dark as he glared at my screen like it had personally offended him. He insisted on being with me for the meeting, even though I hadn’t invited him. But all it took was one look, that look, and suddenly, there was no room for discussion.

I was nervous, and it wasn’t just because of Miss. Carter. Zane was too tense.

“Are you seriously going to sit there glaring at my phone the entire time?” I asked, adjusting the screen on the table.

Zane shrugged. “Depends.”

I rolled my eyes.

The screen lit up as the call connected, and the video flickered.

Bella Carter was beautiful, with sharp, intelligent eyes and dark hair falling effortlessly over her shoulder. A steaming cup rested in her hand, and her fingers wrapped around it like an anchor.

Beside her sat a man. His arm draped casually over the back of her chair, but his presence was anything but nonchalant. There was something undeniable about both of them—a commanding and intimidating aura.

“Hi, Amelia.” Bella’s voice was calm. But her eyes? They were calculating.

“Hello, Miss. Carter. Thank you for taking the time to speak to me.”

“Call me Bella,” she corrected with a polite smile. Beside her, the man watched her with quiet intensity. The way his eyes lingered on her, the soft twitch of his fingers against the chair was protective. Devoted.

“ This is my husband, Nathan.”

His sharp, assessing gaze settled on me. “Hello.” It wasn’t outright hostile, but it wasn’t friendly either.

“Nice to meet you,” I murmured.

Zane cleared his throat.

I glanced at him, but before I could say anything, Bella asked, “ And who’s the brooding man next to you?”

“I’m Zane Cole,” he greeted smoothly, voice edged with something sharp. “The boyfriend of someone who has a habit of throwing herself into danger.”

I rolled my eyes.

Unnecessary. So unnecessary.

Bella’s lips twitched. She glanced at Nathan, who raised a brow with a knowing smirk.

“Ah ,” she hummed like she had already figured something out.

Nathan leaned forward slightly. “ So, he ’ s not thrilled about this investigation, huh?”

Zane shrugged, but the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease.

“Alright, Amelia .” Bella set her cup down, picking up a notepad and pen. “Tell me everything.”

And so, I did.

Her expression didn’t change much as I spoke, but her eyes softened.Like she wasn’t just listening. She was reliving her own ordeal.

Nathan’s arm slid around her waist, his fingers brushing along her side. A small, protective movement.

“Do you have any proof that Mr. Lane is innocent?” Bella finally asked.

“No,” I admitted. “Not exactly. But it doesn’t feel right. There are too many loose ends, and he doesn’t fit the pattern. I’ve known him for years. He wouldn’t do this.”

Bella set her pen down.There was a long, heavy pause before she hesitantly said, “Knowing someone for years… doesn’t mean you know them.”

A cold sense of apprehension curled in my stomach.

“One of the killers in my case …” Her voice faltered just for a second. “…was someone I trusted with my life. Someone I never, never would have suspected. It was a shock that I didn’t see coming.”

Disheartened, I looked away from the screen.

“Neither did I ,” Nathan exhaled sharply.

A heavy silence settled over us all.

And then I felt Zane’s eyes on me. When I glanced up at him, his expression was unreadable. But I knew what he was thinking.

“Looking back, there were signs,” Bella admitted. “Tiny details. The way he moved, the way he spoke, little moments that didn’t quite add up.”

I swallowed.

“But maybe you’re right ,” she continued. “Maybe he isn’t the killer. Someone left a note for you, after all. Which means—”

“—he might not be working alone ,” Nathan finished grimly.

Bella nodded. “If that’s the case, then someone is still out there. And that’s not good.”

A slow, crawling dread curled around my ribs.“What should I do?”

“Find the connections. The killer follows an old pattern , but there’s always one unique detail. Something personal. A fingerprint. Something only they would add. ”

“My wife is wrong. Stay the hell out of it ,” Nathan interjected. “ You’re young. You shouldn’t put yourself in danger.”

Bella shot him a look. “ Of course, she shouldn’t put herself in danger!”

Zane remained silent, but I could feel his tension.

“There was a rumor once,” Bella started. “Back in my case, people whispered that the killers were in contact with someone connected to powerful families. But the details were never confirmed . The person in question has to be tied to the arts . Someone who studied visual arts or music.”

“Amelia, does your case have any ties to wealthy, powerful people?” Nathan questioned.

My blood ran cold. Slowly, my gaze lifted to Zane.

He noticed; his expression darkened further.

“I don’t know,” I murmured finally.

Bella sighed. “You said you’re from Rosewood?”

I confirmed, and she scribbled something down. “I know a journalist with good connections. She might be able to dig into past interviews with the victims’ friends. She could find something useful. But it takes time.”

My eyes lit up with hope.

“ And if it ’ s okay, would you allow me to write an article about your case?”

I nodded.

“ Thank you!” Bella smiled. “ I’ll check in with you again soon.”

Nathan, however, remained serious. “Be careful. This isn’t a game.” His gaze flicked to Zane. “And if you’re going to protect Amelia, do it right.”

Zane scoffed with irritation, “Like I need your advice. Of course, I’ll protect her.”

Bella chuckled softly, and Nathan shook his head, amused but unconvinced.

I bid them goodbye and ended the call.

My thoughts kept spinning until Zane pulled me into a hug.

His lips brushed against my ear.“What was that look? ”

“What look?”

“When they mentioned wealthy people.”

Oh.

I averted my gaze, pressing my lips together. “Well, because it’s about wealthy people, isn’t it?”

Zane’s eyes narrowed.“Are you suspecting me?”

“What? No!” I scowled, shifting away from him. “Why would I?”

Before I could protest further, he pulled me onto his lap.

“Zane!” I gasped, gripping his shoulders.

His gaze captured mine, firm and unreadable.“Then what were you thinking?”

I hesitated. “I was just… connecting the dots. Tristan comes from a wealthy family. The last piece he dedicated to me had tones that sounded eerily similar to the wind chimes I heard near the crime scene…”

A shadow passed over my heart. “If this is like Bella’s case, then maybe I just want to believe he’s innocent. Maybe I’m forcing myself to.”

“What do you want me to say?” he asked, voice cold.

I didn’t know.

Maybe reassurance or a lie. Maybe an admission that he was just as lost as I was. But I knew Zane wouldn’t say any of those things.

“Amelia.”

The dangerous edge in his tone sent a shiver down my spine.

He pushed me back against the couch, his body hovering over mine, gripping my thighs and spreading them around his waist.

“I don’t care.” His fingers dragged up my sweater, lifting it in one swift motion and tossing it to the floor. His cold hands met my heated skin.“As long as he stays the hell away from you.”

His lips traced the sensitive skin along my stomach, making me suck in a sharp breath. His mouth reached the curve of my neck. A soft kiss. A bite. He sucked hard on my skin, and my body burned.

Heat pooled deep in my stomach, my thoughts short-circuiting.

DING DONG.

Zane froze, andI could hear his teeth grinding.“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

I was still trembling, still reeling from the way his lips had branded me.My skin tingled, every nerve ending screaming at the interruption.

The bell rang again.

Zane exhaled sharply; he bent down, snatched my sweater from the floor, and pulled it over my head. “Stay here.”

I barely managed a nod before he strode to the door, his steps quick and angry.

With a shaky hand, I pressed my throbbing neck, struggling to steady my breath.I still felt dizzy, but that sensation was quickly replaced with trepidation, as if my body was drenched in ice water.

“Mother.”

My stomach plummeted.

The sharp click of heels against the hardwood preceded Mrs. Cole’s disgusted voice.“I cannot believe this.” The woman stood behind the couch, her expression carved from stone.

And behind her was Simon.

Oh , shit.

Zane followed them in and stepped in front of me, blocking me like a shield.“I wasn’t expecting you.”

“Since when do I need an invitation?” Mrs. Cole’s voice was dripping with arrogance.

Simon’s gaze flickered between his mother, Zane, and me.

And after a moment, he stepped forward with a kind smile. He extended a hand.“Hello, Amelia. Nice to see you again.”

I hesitated but returned the gesture, giving him a handshake.

Mrs. Cole scoffed.

“Good evening,” I greeted evenly. “I think I should leave.”

Zane sent me a look of frustration. Of pain.“Sit back down.” He turned back to his mother. “You two should leave.”

The air thickened with tension so dense it felt suffocating.

“Oh?” Mrs. Cole mused, tilting her head. “Are we interrupting something?” Her laughter was mocking. “Or does she even realize she’s the one intruding?”

The way she said that felt like a stab to the neck.

“You should’ve come home today. Our guests were shocked that you didn’t show up for such an important occasion,” Mrs. Cole continued.With a serpentine smile, she finally turned toward me. “Do you even know what’s going on?”

Zane’s fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles went white.

“Does she even know what she’s ruining?”

My blood ran cold.

When Simon grabbed my hand again, I realized I was trembling. He looked at me with eyes so round that it felt like he was pitying me.

“She’s ruining nothing.”

I was speechless. I didn’t understand what was going on.

“Ella—”

“Shut your mouth!” Zane thundered

Mrs. Cole fell silent, but only for a short moment.Her gaze flicked to me, and she smiled. It was a winning grin as if she had figured something out.

But I didn’t care because the sudden mention of Ella made me suspicious.

“You didn’t tell her?”

Zane’s body trembled with suppressed rage.

My instincts screamed that the situation was about to spiral out of control.So, I uncurled my fingers from Simon’s and placed my hand gently on Zane’s arm. “I’m leaving.”

He shook his head, but I forced a small, steady smile. “Sort this out. She’s your mother. I’ll call you later.”

Turning to Mrs. Cole, I calmly held her gaze, even though inside I was screaming.“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ll leave now.”

She gave me a satisfied nod, like I had done exactly what she expected me to do. But I didn’t care; I just wanted to leave.

Zane moved in front of the door. “I’ll take you home,” he hoarsely stated.

I flicked a glance toward his mother. Her expression had lost that winning smile, and she clicked her tongue, giving me a look that said she wanted to throw a thousand daggers at me.

Simon still watched on with sad eyes.

I pressed a hand to Zane’s chest.“We can talk later. I can get home by myself.”

Desperation flickered across his face.

I hated that I was walking away from him without knowing for certain what the hell was going on.But I knew… I just knew if I stayed, Mrs. Cole would rip me apart in front of Simon.

And Zane wouldn’t be able to stop her. Not because he couldn’t but because the fight was deeper than me. Older than me.

His world was a tangled web of power and manipulation, and I had stepped right into the center of it.

For a moment, I thought he might argue, but then his shoulders sagged. He let me go.“Amelia, I’ll call you later. I promise.”

I nodded, stepped out into the night air, and started walking away from his house, those people, and the awkward tension. Finally, I was able to breathe.

The second I shut the door to my room, I collapsed against it. My hands trembled, and my breath came out in uneven pants.

I slid down to the floor, knees pulled tight to my chest.

Everything felt heavy.

My mind was a tangled mess of questions, doubts, and fear. The more I tried to understand what happened, the worse it got.

A soft knock at my door made me flinch, and my grandmother’s gentle voice drifted through the wood. “Amelia, you need to eat a little, my sweetheart.”

There was concern in her tone.

Clenching my hands into fists, I forced my voice to be steady as I said, “I’ll be right down. I just need to shower first.”

“…Okay, my dear, I’ll wait for you.”

Her footsteps faded away. And only then did I allow myself to exhale.

I pushed everything down and locked the panic away.I had to function. I had to pretend. But when night fell, Zane still hadn’t called.