"What is it?" Lily asked, noticing Clara going quiet.
Clara forced a small smile. "I'm just… thinking."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Thinking? You get that look when you're lying to me. Something's up."
Clara's eyes drifted to the sunlight coming through the hospital window. She wasn't ready to tell Lily everything—not about the second chance she'd been given, not about knowing how things could end, not about losing her once before. Too much. Too unbelievable. Too dangerous.
Instead, she let out a slow breath. "I guess I'm just trying to make sense of everything. Laura, the party… Mum and Dad… everything feels… tangled."
"The past?" Lily leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Which part? You've got a lot to pick from."
Clara hesitated, shrugging. "All of it. What happened to Mum and Dad, the party, even… us. I'm just trying to figure it out."
"Us?" Lily frowned. "You mean… how we've drifted, or what?"
"Something like that," Clara said softly. She couldn't tell her the truth—that she'd already lived through some of this, that she'd been given this impossible second chance. Not yet. It would raise too many questions.
Instead, she shifted slightly. "Mostly… how to deal with Laura. And whoever's backing her."
Lily's eyes narrowed. "That's what's really bothering you, isn't it? Not just her, but whoever's pulling her strings."
Clara bit her lip. "Exactly. She didn't do any of this alone. Someone's helping her—and whoever it is, they're organized. Smart. Bold. The invite to the party, framing the waiter… it wasn't an accident."
Lily let out a low whistle. "So she's got a shadow army, and we're supposed to stop it with… what? A couple of brains and your fiancé's charm?"
Clara smiled faintly despite the tension. "Brains help. And charm—well, it works better than you'd think. I just have to stay alert. Watch for patterns, connections… spot the next move before it happens."
Lily tilted her head, studying her sister. "You've really changed, you know. Not just with Nathaniel… with everything. You're… sharper. More aware. Careful. It suits you. But I hope you're not taking too much on yourself."
Clara reached over, brushing her fingers against Lily's hand. "I can't afford not to. Not now. Not with all of this—and not with you."
Lily's expression softened, her shoulders relaxing. "Okay. Just… promise me you won't get lost in all of it. You don't have to carry it alone."
"I know," Clara said, her throat tight. "I won't. But I have to be ready. I can't let Laura—or whoever's helping her—catch me off guard again."
"You sound obsessed," Lily said softly, leaning her chin on her hand. "Not that it's a bad thing. You've always had that edge when it comes to danger. But… breathe, okay?"
Clara gave a small laugh, letting herself relax a little. "I will. But I have to stay focused. Every detail matters."
A quiet moment passed. Clara's mind wandered back to the party—Laura's cruel smile, the dizziness, the shadowy person who had helped her. She didn't have all the pieces yet, but she knew she would, eventually.
"You know," Lily said suddenly, breaking the quiet, "you and Nathaniel are really… close now. Not just tonight. He's been there in ways I've never seen him before."
Clara's cheeks warmed. "It's… natural," she said softly. "He cares, I care… it's normal."
Lily raised an eyebrow. "Sure. Normal. But still… he makes you calm in a way no one else does, huh?"
Clara looked away, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "Maybe. But that's enough for now. Let's not get distracted."
Lily laughed softly. "Fine. But don't hide things from me forever. I can tell when you're holding back. Whatever's coming… we'll face it together. Promise me that."
Clara squeezed her sister's hand. "I promise," she said quietly, firmly.
For a moment, there was peace. But even as she let herself rest, the questions lingered: who was backing Laura, and why? What was coming next?
Then Clara's voice softened. "Lily… do you ever think Mum and Dad's death was… unnatural?"
Lily frowned, looking thoughtful. "Honestly? Yeah. It never felt right. Everything about it was too sudden. Too clean."
Clara nodded slowly. "And no one ever questioned it properly. It felt… controlled. Like someone made sure it stayed that way."
Lily's gaze darkened. "You think someone was behind it?"
"I don't know," Clara whispered. "But with what's happening now… it feels connected. Like nothing is random anymore."
Lily leaned back, serious. "Then we need to be careful. If this is connected, it's not over."
Clara looked out at the hospital window, the morning light soft on the sheets. Her chest tightened with unease.
"No," she said quietly. "It's just starting."