The New Emily Hills

NORA

"What did you put in my drink?"

My voice trembled-not with fear, but with fury as my eyes burned with rage while staring at Andres, the man seated casually in front of me. This was the same man I once regarded as family, the man my father trusted with his life, his best friend.

And yet, there he was-smirking shamelessly, lazily inhaling tobacco smoke as if he were merely enjoying a pleasant afternoon. He sat comfortably, legs crossed, as though I were nothing more than a source of mild entertainment.

"You think too highly of yourself, Nora," he said mockingly, completely ignoring my question. "I never imagined it would be this easy to fool you."

"What did you put in my drink?" I repeated, my voice now firm and demanding, refusing to break even as I felt something horribly wrong spreading through my body.

I forced myself to stay upright, to appear strong, even as numbness slowly crept into my limbs. My fingers refused to move. Panic threatened to surface, but I swallowed it down as the realization struck me. I was losing control of my body.

I had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before I was completely paralyzed.

He burst into loud laughter, clearly amused as he watched my slow collapse.

"I must admit, I'm impressed by your self-control," he continued, clearly enjoying himself. "If you're someone else, you would have already collapsed on the floor by now. Since you managed to entertain me, let me share something... interesting."

I stayed silent, allowing him to continue even though every instinct screamed that I wouldn't like whatever was about to come out of his mouth.

"I killed your father."

My eyes widened in shock. I wanted to clench my fists, to lash out at him, but my hands were completely numb. Whatever Andres had slipped into my drink was poisoning my entire system, creeping mercilessly through my veins.

"Just like you, he was foolish enough to trust me," he continued coldly. "You're probably wondering why I killed him. It's simple-he stole Esmeralda from me. Your mother."

My mind reeled. I couldn't process his words.

"I met Esmeralda first," he went on. "But your father seduced her, and it eventually led to their marriage."

Despite the weakness overtaking me, a crooked smile formed on my lips. He noticed, and it infuriated him.

"Let's see how long you can keep smiling," he sneered before continuing.

"Of course, I couldn't accept losing Esmeralda, so I kidnapped her. Your idiot father even had the audacity to ask me for help to find her. I claimed your mother repeatedly. I showed her what real love felt like. But I didn't realize that your father had already poisoned her mind, and she started longing for him again."

His eyes darkened as his obsession spilled freely from his lips.

"I indulged myself in her, fuck her like my life depended on it. I planned to hide her away for good-but my wife caught me.