Chapter 4

I looked up and found Chloe already awake, watching me quietly.

I walked over and placed the diary in front of her.

"Chloe, do you really not remember at all?"

Tears silently fell from Chloe's eyes. She didn't wipe them, just let them drop onto the blanket.

"You went to see him, didn't you?"

But she bit her lip and said nothing.

"You were there, weren't you?"

Still no response.

I shouted sternly, "Chloe!"

She jerked her head up, crying.

"I don't remember. I really don't remember anything."

"I read what I wrote, but I don't remember what I did that night. My mind is blank. I'm not lying. I don't even remember you."

"When I heard he was hurt, I thought maybe I did something, which is why I forgot. I'm so scared."

"Don't cry yet. Listen to me. There's only one thing you need to do now."

She looked up, eyes blurred with tears.

"We're going to the police station. You need to tell them everything you know."

Her body stiffened.

"I..."

"Chloe, we still don't know who hurt Zachary, but I believe you wouldn't do something like that."

I gripped her hand.

"If you keep hiding and saying nothing, that's when there'll be real trouble."

"Trust the police. Let them find the truth."

Chloe bit her lip, silent for a long time, then nodded.

I accompanied Chloe to the Criminal Investigation Unit.

Chloe handed over her diary.

She explained everything from start to finish, including Zachary contacting her and the gap in her memory.

The officers' expressions changed after hearing it all.

Police further retrieved all surveillance footage from our apartment complex that night.

The footage clearly showed that Aria had indeed never left the apartment that night.

But after I fell asleep, Mrs. Patterson had visited our apartment.

She stayed in our apartment for a while, then hurriedly left the complex and took a taxi.

After a considerable amount of time, she returned looking anxious.

The officer looked at me and Chloe.

"We've made another major discovery. Zachary's ex-girlfriend---besides Ms. Chloe---there's also a woman named Rachel."

"Her mother is someone you know---this Mrs. Patterson."

I gasped.

"Mrs. Patterson?"

From the prank notes, to Mrs. Patterson from 404 bringing cake, to Chloe's amnesia after eating the cake, to Zachary's injury---didn't everything start after the cake was delivered?

My mind raced through all the recent details.

These fragmented details were like scattered beads suddenly strung together on a thread, and the other end of that thread seemed to point to the same person.

The moment this thought emerged, I felt cold all over.