Page 5

"Let me guess," Mr. Lay chuckled, "you’ve found a new star?"

"No, Dad. I’m serious."

“What do you mean, sweetheart?” Mrs. Lay asked gently.

Amelia took a slow breath. “Remember the incident that happened at Evermoon during my wedding 20 years ago?”

Mrs. Lay paused, her face softening as the memory seemed to resurface. “How could I forget? That day changed everything for so many of us.”

Amelia's gaze drifted to the window, her fingers lightly brushing the rim of her teacup. “The thing is, I’ve been going over it again… and I don’t think Mark was the one who did it.”

David looked at her, his eyebrows furrowing. “Babe, what are you saying? After all these years, we all know it’s Mark?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes still fixed on the rain streaming down the glass. “Because there’s more to it. I’ve been piecing things together, and the more I dig, the more I realize that something doesn't add up.”

Mr. Lay leaned forward, his expression serious now. “What are you implying, Amelia?”

She turned to him, her expression serious but calm. “I’m thinking that there’s someone else who did it. Mark was just a scapegoat.”

Mrs. Lay’s voice trembled slightly, her eyes searching Amelia’s. “But why bring this up now, after all these years?”

Amelia’s eyes darkened, her thoughts heavy with the weight of the past. “Because I think I’ve found something in the book. It just feels like I’m experiencing the same thing again.”

David frowned, clearly confused. “The book?”

She nodded, her fingers tapping nervously against the edge of her teacup. “Yes, a book named The Silent Shadow. It’s more than just a detective story. I think it’s a key — a key to what happened all those years ago at Evermoon. I’ve been reading through it, and there are parts of it that… feel too familiar. It’s almost like someone was trying to tell me something.”