---
Dinner at the Carter house was quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of quiet that felt staged, like everyone at the table was pretending life was normal. Like Phoenix's disappearance hadn't turned everything inside out.
Olivia pushed peas around her plate. Her stomach was a knot, her head buzzing with the weight of what she'd found—the test, the floorboard, the truth just barely out of reach.
Her parents were talking about the most ordinary things: a neighborhood meeting, a new intern at her dad's office, the weather.
She couldn't take it anymore.
She dropped her fork.
They both looked up.
"Were you ever going to tell me she was pregnant?" Olivia asked.
Silence fell like a curtain.
Elizabeth Carter's hands stiffened on her glass. "What?"
"You heard me." Olivia's voice shook. "Phoenix. She was pregnant, right?"
Bob cleared his throat. "Olivia, where are you getting this from?"
She met their eyes, sharp and accusing. "Her room. There was a test. It was positive. You knew."
Elizabeth stood slowly. "You had no right to go in there."
"Don't twist this!" Olivia shouted, standing too. "You knew. You lied to me."
Her mom's voice dropped to a warning tone. "Olivia Grace—"
"No!" she snapped. "You've all been walking around pretending she just left. But she didn't. Something happened. And I'm done pretending."
Her dad pointed to the stairs. "That's enough. Go to your room."
Olivia stared at them, jaw tight. "You're hiding something."
Neither parent answered.
She turned, stormed upstairs, and slammed the door behind her. Her hands trembled as she grabbed her phone and opened the group chat.
> OLIVIA:
I need you guys. Harper's house. Now.
Three dots appeared immediately.
> HARPER:
Already making popcorn. Door's open.
> PETER:
On my way.
> SAVANNAH:
What happened? Be there in 10.
---
Harper's bedroom smelled like vanilla candles and urgency.
Olivia sat cross-legged on the bed, the test in her lap, her friends surrounding her like a shield.
"They knew," Olivia said. "They've known this whole time. And they didn't tell me."
"Phoenix must've been scared out of her mind," Harper said softly.
Peter ran a hand through his hair. "This changes everything. If she was pregnant, she had a reason to run."
"Or someone had a reason to make her disappear," Savannah added.
Olivia looked down at the test. Her stomach twisted.
"Guys… this wasn't just a secret. This was a cover-up."
There was a knock on the bedroom door.
Harper's little brother peeked in. "Lexi's handing out party invites tomorrow. You guys going?"
Harper shooed him out, then turned to the group. "That party might be our next clue."
Peter nodded. "Lexi knows things. She's Lex's twin. If anyone knows what Phoenix was really into... it's her."
Savannah tossed a pillow in the air. "Then let's go."
Harper smirked. "Operation: Truth Hunt is officially on."
Olivia finally smiled, just a little.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
---