Free Web NovelChapter 96: Beyond the Masker
Olivia sat on the edge of the sofa, her eyes still fixed on the door that had just closed. Delia’s words, seemingly light yet full of meaning, still echoed in her ears.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but her mind kept racing, replaying every word.
"It’s a real shame, Olivia... that you forgot that event. And... that annoying man actually did something futile... but I like it."
She shook her head, trying to dismiss the first interpretation that surfaced but that interpretation was hard to erase. Only one thing crossed her mind Delia seemed to know something that Olivia herself did not fully remember...
Olivia stood up, walked to the window, and stared at the garden illuminated by the streetlights.
Her gut started to feel that something was strange Delia, who in the ordinary world was just her close friend, had come with an alien aura, as if someone was orchestrating a different story behind her back.
She recalled the past not the Delia from another world who had once stolen her heart, but the Delia here, the Delia who had always been a friend, sometimes naive but honest.
Why was Delia acting like this now... as if playing with something Olivia didn’t understand?
"That event... what did she mean by it?" Olivia whispered to herself, her voice raspy from an uncontrollable curiosity.
"Delia said I forgot... but what did she actually mean? And... that man? Futile? Who was the futile one?"
She sighed, tapping her forehead lightly. Her head felt heavy. Every blurry memory, every line of dialogue ringing in her ears, now became a puzzle that needed to be solved. Olivia knew Delia hadn’t come here just to apologize or calm her down. There was something more... hidden.
Olivia sat back down on the sofa, phone in hand, trying to write a small note in her memo app. She wrote down Delia’s words one by one, trying to piece together the meaning hidden between the lines. But the more she wrote, the more blurred the true meaning became.
"She... she isn’t like she used to be," she whispered, almost to herself.
"Not the Delia I know... but who exactly was standing in front of me earlier?"
A cold sensation crept down her spine. The suspicion and wariness she had tried to cast aside now returned.
Olivia closed her eyes, trying to calm her thoughts, but she knew something had changed, something that would force her to investigate further.
And in the corner of her heart, Olivia felt that this meeting with Delia was just the beginning of a larger, darker, and far more complicated story than she had ever imagined.
The next morning, Olivia woke up feeling restless. Delia’s words from the night before continued to haunt her mind, like a voice whispering in the corner of her consciousness. She knew the only way to stop the confusion was to investigate it herself.
She sat at the dining table, staring at a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and opened her phone. Bigram, Facelook, WApp....every way she knew to find clues about Delia.
But there were no direct answers. No suspicious posts, no new photos showing Delia in the same area.
"She hasn’t changed, but... why was her behavior so strange yesterday?" Olivia asked herself, staring at the quiet walls of her house.
Her gut felt that Delia hadn’t just come to deliver an empty message. There was something behind that smile, something Olivia hadn’t seen yet.
She decided to go to the café where Delia often dropped by. Perhaps by seeing the place, or digging a little from the people around, she could gather small clues. Olivia thought that every little detail might help unlock the secret of Delia’s words.
At the café, Olivia chose a table near the window. She watched every customer who entered and exited, her eyes always alert. Occasionally, she smiled to herself. "I’m like a detective now," she whispered, trying to lighten the tension.
After nearly an hour, a waiter who knew Delia came over to bring her drink. Olivia seized the opportunity.
"Uh, have you seen Delia this week?" she asked softly, trying not to seem too interested.
The waiter smiled and shrugged.
"She always comes here in the afternoons. But... yesterday I saw her leaving with a strange expression, like she was thinking about something heavy."
Olivia swallowed hard. Heavy?That was the only clue she got, but it was enough to make her even more curious.
She took out her phone and wrote a short note: Delia strange expression, weird words, annoying man....Every note was like a puzzle piece that needed to be arranged.
As she closed her phone, her heart pounded. Olivia realized she had started planning her next move. She needed to meet Delia again, not just wait for those mysterious words to haunt her. But this time, she wanted real answers, not partial explanations or sympathetic smiles.
Olivia stood up and took a deep breath.
"If I want to understand what Delia means, I have to keep going... I can’t run from these questions," she whispered.
With a new resolve, she stepped out of the café, her eyes sharply watching every shadow on the street.
Each of her steps was a start to an investigation, one step closer to uncovering the secret of Delia’s words, and perhaps... to knowing what exactly was hidden behind that seemingly friendly face.
Olivia walked out of the café, the determination in her eyes still burning. However, her pace slowed when she realized something.
A shadow at the side of the road looked almost identical to Delia’s figure from yesterday but it quickly vanished when she tried to turn her head.
"No... it’s probably just my imagination," she whispered, but that feeling of unease kept pressing on her heart.
She decided to change her route home, going through the small alleys behind the café. Each step felt heavy, as if the world was holding its breath waiting for her to make a mistake. Olivia looked back once more no one was in sight. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that Delia was watching, observing, waiting for the right moment.
Suddenly, there was the sound of rapid footsteps behind her. Olivia turned, but the narrow alley was empty. Only her own shadow danced on the stone wall.
Her heart hammered, her hands clenched tightly.
"Delia..." she whispered slowly, her voice nearly lost in the night wind.
"What exactly are you planning?"
She continued walking, heading toward an old warehouse that she and Delia used to hang out in during their school days.
The place was quiet and dark, lit only by the dim streetlights. Olivia sensed something dark waiting.
She stepped inside slowly. The smell of dust and old wood greeted her, and each step created a sound that echoed against the warehouse walls.
Her heart pounded something familiar, yet dangerous.
And there Delia stood in the middle of the warehouse, smiling broadly, but her smile this time was more cynical than the night before. Delia’s hands were placed on her waist, her eyes staring at Olivia as if measuring the girl’s courage and resilience.
"You came after all," Delia said slowly, but every word seemed to slice through the air around them.
"I knew you couldn’t hold out long without answers. But... the answers you’re looking for... aren’t something sweet."
Olivia swallowed hard, holding back the fear that tried to consume her reason.
"Delia... what do you actually want? Why all of this?" freewёbnoνel.com
Delia stepped closer, and Olivia could feel the cold aura enveloping her body.
"I just wanted you to see... what happens when someone forgets their boundaries, when someone is too confident in themselves. This world... can be very cruel, Olivia. And sometimes... that cruelty needs to be taught by the hands of someone who knows you very well."
Olivia took a deep breath. The suspicion and wariness that had haunted her mind since yesterday now turned into reality. Delia wasn’t just wanting to talk or apologize. She wanted to test, perhaps... to destroy part of Olivia’s own world. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
With a harder resolve, Olivia stepped forward.
"If you think I’m afraid... you’re wrong. I won’t let you interfere with my life again. I will know your every move, and I will understand the meaning of every word you say!"
Delia laughed softly, like the sound of wind piercing through the empty warehouse.
"Good... you’ve started to understand this game. But remember, Olivia... this game has only just begun."
Olivia stared at Delia, and in that instant, she knew she had to act faster, more cunningly, before Delia could sketch something darker.
The world might be strange, and danger might be hidden in every shadow, but Olivia was ready. She was no longer the same girl, and she knew one thing: she wouldn’t let Delia win just like that.
Olivia walked out of the warehouse, the night air slapping her face with its chill. Her heart was still pounding, adrenaline burning.
Delia wasn’t just an old friend who had changed, but someone who had now become a subtle threat to her world. Every word of Delia’s from yesterday repeated in her ears, like a mantra demanding an answer.
On the way home, Olivia tried to organize a strategy. ..
If Delia has taken everything I have, why can’t I?
she thought to herself. Each of her steps grew more confident. She didn’t want to be a victim; Olivia wanted to be the game operator.
The next morning, Olivia prepared for her first day of work at that big company. According to the information, Delia still worked there, but in a separate office.
Olivia swallowed, bracing herself. If Delia thought she was the only one who could grab opportunities, Olivia wanted to prove that she was also capable of taking back what was rightfully hers not just for workplace competition, but also to understand Delia’s agenda.
As she sat at her desk, organizing documents and small notes, the face of a man appeared in her thoughts.
Yesterday’s dream.The face was blurry, as if she knew the person, but couldn’t name him. Olivia shook her head, trying to brush off the fear. Instead of fear, curiosity arose.
Who was that man? Why did he appear in my dreamwas it a sign or a warning?
Every time she looked at the clock, Olivia counted the time until she could see Delia from afar. During the break, she took in some fresh air on the company’s fifth-floor balcony, facing the busy city.
From there, she could observe people coming and going, and see Delia even though their offices were separate, Olivia knew Delia wasn’t far.
The evening breeze swept across Olivia’s face. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her thoughts, repeating every word of Delia’s, every cynical smile, and every hidden tone of voice.
Delia was orchestrating something, Olivia was sure of it. But what? And why did it feel like this game had only just begun?
Suddenly, footsteps behind her. Olivia turned around, her heart pounding, but the balcony hallway was empty. Only the shadows of passersby.
"Maybe just my imagination again..." she whispered. But that feeling of wariness wouldn’t disappear.
Olivia realized that her every step was now being watched. Every movement, no matter how small, might be an opportunity for Delia to attack or test her.
She went back inside. Sat down and started working.
Meanwhile, she wrote something down so she wouldn’t forget.
She leaned down, writing a note on her phone
Delia other office,
strange expression,
yesterday’s words.
Man in dream... blurry face, important?
very entry bound her mind in small strategies. Olivia knew one thing: she couldn’t remain passive.
That afternoon, while coming home from work, Olivia planned to dig more about Delia. Every step was cautious; her eyes watched for shadows, gestures, and the reactions of everyone who might hold a clue.
Her curiosity about the man in her dream was still thick, but her main focus was clear: Delia.
"If you want to play this game, Delia... I am good at playing too," she whispered to herself, her eyes glowing with determination.
I will understand what you mean, and I will deflect every move of yours before you can sketch any danger.
Deep in her heart, Olivia felt that her next move would be bolder. She would enter the world that Delia was controlling, observing, strategizing, and waiting for the right moment to act.
No longer the same girl. No longer naive. Delia’s world was now Olivia’s playing field too, and she was ready to claim back her rights... in her own way.
