Ella did not sleep that night. She sat on the couch with her knees pulled up, staring at the ceiling while her mind spun in circles. Everything felt too fast, like the world had jumped ahead of her and forgot to warn her. One lie had already shaken everything. Now another one was threatening to break it all apart.
Ben walked into the living room slowly. His steps were heavy, almost dragging. He looked exhausted, eyes tired and red, like the weight of everything was sitting directly on his shoulders. He stopped when he saw Ella awake.
"You should be sleeping," he said quietly.
"I can't," she replied. Her voice was soft, strained. "My mind won't stop."
Ben sat beside her. Their shoulders touched slightly. He stared ahead at nothing, breathing slow and uneven. For a few seconds, neither spoke.
Then Ella whispered, "Ben… what exactly did Lucas say to you?"
Ben closed his eyes for a moment before answering. "He said he doesn't trust me anymore." His hands tightened on his knees. "He said someone told him I am hiding things… hiding you… hiding everything. And he said if I don't tell him the truth soon, he'll tell the world his version of the story."
Ella felt her stomach twist. "His version? But he doesn't even know the truth."
"That is the problem," Ben muttered. "When someone believes a lie completely, they stop listening to reason."
Ella leaned forward, rubbing her hands together. Her skin felt cold. "Rita must have gotten to him. There is no other explanation."
Ben nodded slowly. "Yeah. She played him. She used his weakness. His loneliness. She turned it into fuel." He let out a shaky breath. "And now he's on her side."
Ella felt a sharp sting in her chest. "Lucas is not a bad person. He is just… confused."
Ben turned to her. "Confusion can still destroy everything."
His eyes were darker than usual. She noticed it immediately. A deep, tired darkness, mixed with frustration and fear. In that moment, she understood the title of the chapter. His eyes had changed. They were not the soft, patient eyes he usually had. They were eyes of a man who felt cornered.
Ella reached out gently and placed her hand over his. "We can fix this. We just need to get to Lucas before Rita pushes him any further."
Ben pulled his hand away slowly and stood up, pacing the room. "It is not that simple anymore. Lucas said he has proof. Proof that I am lying. He did not tell me what it is."
Ella felt her heart drop. "Proof? How?"
"I have no idea." Ben stopped and looked at her again. "But he sounded sure. Too sure."
Ella swallowed hard. "We need to talk to him. Not over the phone. Face to face."
Ben hesitated. "He might not want to see me."
"Then I will talk to him," Ella said firmly. She stood up, stepping closer. "He might listen to me."
Ben's eyes softened a little, but the worry stayed. "Ella, he might say things you are not ready to hear."
"I don't care," she said simply. "I am doing this for us. For you. And because I know him. Something is not right. If Rita is feeding him information, then we need to know what she gave him."
Ben rubbed the back of his neck. "Ella, I don't like any of this. Every direction feels dangerous."
"Danger is already here," she whispered. "We either face it or let it burn everything down."
Ben stared at her, and for the first time that night, he gave a small sigh that sounded like acceptance. "Fine. We do it your way." He rubbed his eyes. "But I'm coming with you."
Ella nodded. "Good."
They started preparing, grabbing their phones, a bag, keys. Ella tied her hair back. Ben changed his shirt. The house felt too quiet while they moved around, both acting calm but thinking a thousand things.
Before they left, Ella touched Ben's arm lightly. "No matter what Lucas says, don't react. If he says something rude or unfair, don't let it get to you. That is what Rita wants."
Ben nodded. "I'll try."
Ella took a deep breath. "We fix this tonight."
They stepped outside. The air was cold, almost biting. The night sky looked heavy and restless, like a storm was planning itself quietly.
Ben unlocked the car, but before they got in, Ella stopped. "Ben."
He turned.
"Your eyes changed," she said softly. "Don't let Rita take more from you. Not your peace. Not your mind."
Ben looked at her for a long moment. Something in his face relaxed. Not fully, but enough.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
They got into the car and drove off, the streetlights passing them one by one like silent witnesses. Ella stared out the window, heart pounding, mind racing. Every second brought them closer to Lucas, closer to answers, closer to another fight they might not be ready for.
She whispered to herself, almost afraid to breathe too loud, "Please let this go well."
But deep down, she knew the night was far from over.