Page 39 of Midnight at the Magnolia

I force a smile, hoping it doesn’t look as strained as it feels. “Of course. Maybe over dinner sometime?” The words taste like ash on my tongue, but I need to keep him close. Keep him safe.

As if on cue, Ethan’s phone buzzes. He checks it, frowning. “I’ve got to go. Duty calls.” He stands, his gaze lingering on me. The intensity in his eyes makes my breath catch – there’s something there, something that makes me want to risk everything and tell him the truth. “This was... enlightening. Thanks for sharing, Celeste. Alex, it was interesting meeting you.”

Grandma’s lessons echo in my mind:“The deadliest predators don’t need to bare their fangs to show their intent.”

As soon as Ethan is out of earshot, I turn to Alex, my voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Alex leans back, a smug smile on his face. “Just having a bit of fun. But now that we’re alone, let’s talk business.” He adjusts his tie—another old signal between us, this one meaningtime to hunt.“You didn’t think Chicago would stay buried forever, did you?”

I feel a chill run down my spine. Whatever sick game Alex is playing, the stakes have just skyrocketed. As I stare into his cold, calculating eyes, I realize that the carefully constructed life I’ve built is balancing on a knife’s edge. One wrong move, and everything will come crashing down.

But I’ll be damned if I let Alex destroy what I’ve worked so hard to create. I’ve stared down the barrel of a gun and walkedaway. I’ve mixed poisons that would make the devil himself think twice. Alex is just another obstacle to overcome, another secret to bury.

And if I have to bury him again, this time I’ll make sure he stays dead.

“Fine, Alex,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my gut. “Spit it out. What’s your angle here?”

Alex’s smile widens, a predator sensing weakness. “Not here, Cel. Too many prying eyes and ears. Let’s meet somewhere more... private.”

The trap is set, and like a fool, I’m walking right into it. But what choice do I have? “Fine. Where and when?”

“The old warehouse on the docks. 10 PM tonight.” Alex stands, adjusting his expensive suit. The movement wafts another wave of his overpowering cologne towards me, a scent that will haunt my nightmares. “Don’t be late. And come alone. We wouldn’t want your FBI boyfriend getting curious, would we?”

As he saunters out of the diner, the bell chiming his departure like a death knell, I let out a shaky breath. The diner suddenly feels too loud, too bright, the normality of it all a stark contrast to the darkness brewing beneath the surface.

Grandma’s final lesson rings in my ears:“Remember, child, when you dance with devils, make sure you know which one’s leading.”

Looking at the door where both Alex and Ethan had disappeared, I wonder if I’ve forgotten the steps to this particular dance.

Tonight will end one of two ways: with Alex truly dead, or with every secret I’ve buried coming to light. Either way, blood will water the garden of my sins, and I can only pray that when it blooms, Ethan won’t be close enough to catch the scent.

The clock ticks toward destiny, each second a reminder that in New Orleans, the past never stays buried—it just ferments like the roots of the poisonous plants I tend, growing stronger in the dark until it’s ready to strike.

And as the last customer leaves and I prepare to close up the diner, I feel a familiar calm settle over me. The calm before the storm. Whatever happens tonight, whatever truths are revealed or lies unraveled, I will face it head-on.

Because that’s what Sarah would have done.

And in the end, everything I do is for her. Her memory, her justice, her vengeance. The love I’ve lost, the innocence that has been shattered—it all comes down to this moment.

I lock the diner door, the click of the bolt sounding like a gunshot in the quiet night. It’s time. Alex is waiting, and with him, the ghosts of my past.

But I’m not that scared, broken girl anymore.

As I step into the darkness, Sarah’s memory burns bright in my mind. But for the first time, I wonder if the price of vengeance might be too high.

If I lose Ethan because of this, will it all be worth it?

The thought lingers as I make my way towards the docks, towards Alex, towards a confrontation that has been years in the making. The night air is thick with tension and possibility, and I can feel the weight of my choices pressing down on me with each step.

And as I step onto the dock, the cold wind whipping through my hair, I know Alex isn’t here. And he never intended to show up.

My stomach twists as I look out over the water, the moonlight dancing on the ripples like shattered glass.

Nothing. Not a soul. Not a sound.

The realization hits me like a physical blow. This isn’t a meeting—it’s a message. Alex is playing with me, showing methat he can manipulate me, that he holds the strings. The anger that rises within me is hot and fierce, a stark contrast to the chill of the night air.

I scan the area, my senses on high alert. Every shadow could be a threat, every sound a potential ambush. But there’s nothing. Just the creaking of the old dock beneath my feet and the distant cry of a gull.

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