"You and Nina looked good out there," Teddy said as Matthew rubbed his temple. "Are you alright?"
Matthew leaned back slightly. "Just a headache."
"Want me to get you something—?"
"No. I just need some air," Matthew said, standing up.
The ghost girl appeared beside him as he stepped out of the hall. "You’re not actually sick," she said, trailing after him. "You’re faking it, right? I knew it. I knew you’d do something tonight."
Matthew didn’t respond. He kept walking, eyes half-closed, his hand still pressed to the side of his head.
The ghost floated in circles beside him. "Wait, someone’s coming. This is it, isn’t it? The setup? Oh, I’m going to witness the whole thing! How exciting!"
Matthew gave a low grunt and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Matt?" Dean called as he walked over. "You okay? You don’t look too good..."
"I—I just need some air," Matthew muttered, his voice slurred.
"Whoa, okay, hold on." Dean reached for his arm.
The ghost girl floated beside them, practically bouncing. "Oh, you’re good. You are so good. Look at you! I swear, I could nominate you for something. So convincing! Are you gonna faint? Do the fainting thing. Come on, just one little limp—"
Matthew gave a faint grunt and leaned slightly on the wall.
"Marc, help me out. He’s not looking good," Dean called over.
Marc rushed over and looped an arm under Matthew’s shoulder. "It seems that it was potent enough to knock him down."
"No idea. It’s either that or he’s just too weak. Ugh! Heavy!"
"Perfect. Absolutely perfect! This is the moment," the ghost girl whispered, circling Matthew’s head. "They think you’re done for. Oh, I can’t wait to see how this turns out. This is better than daytime drama."
Inside the elevator, Matthew leaned his head back, eyes half-lidded. His breath was shallow.
"You seriously think he planned that stuff with Nina?" Marc asked.
"Of course, he did. That smug smile? This is what he gets for messing with us," Dean replied. Matthew must have known that he liked Nina so he planned to have that dance with her!
The ghost clapped her hands. "Did you hear that? Messing with them! They think they’re the main characters. Can you believe it?"
The elevator dinged. They stepped out and guided Matthew down the hallway. Dean fumbled with the keycard, then opened the door to a quiet guest room.
"Here, lay him on the bed."
Marc and Dean lowered him down gently. Matthew let out a soft groan.
Dean stood up and wiped his palms. "He’s not getting up soon. Good. Let him stay there."
Marc scoffed. "That’s what he gets."
"Seriously. The guy acts like he owns the place. I hope he won’t regret it when he wakes up."
"You should have been an actor," the ghost whispered near Matthew’s ear. "So good. I almost believed you were dying back there."
Matthew didn’t respond. He lay still, letting them believe he was out cold. Then suddenly, his eyes opened.
"I told you, I thought I saw Matthew with a woman earlier," Catherine said as she led Lenox and the others toward the elevator. "It didn’t look like he knew the woman, and he looked drunk."
Lenox reached for the elevator button, his wrist brushing against Catherine’s arm. "Are you sure it was him?"
Catherine nodded, eyes wide. "Positive."
Lenox paused. Catherine moved to speak again, but he stepped forward and gently pushed her aside as the doors opened.
May stepped in behind him. "Let’s just leave him be. He’s vindictive and ungrateful. We don’t owe him anything."
Catherine glanced back at Lenox. "Even if he’s like that, isn’t it still good if we help him?"
Lenox stopped. "Help him?"
She turned to Teddy, Christian, and the others waiting in the lobby. "Did any of you see Matthew earlier?"
Teddy rubbed his chin. "He excused himself a while ago. Said he didn’t feel well."
Christian looked at her. "Which room did they go into?"
"I tried to follow," Catherine said. "But the woman pushed me out."
Teddy opened his mouth to argue when suddenly the elevator doors slid open.
Everyone was surprised when they saw Adam standing there with a familiar man. "Eh? What are you all doing here?"
Catherine rushed forward. "I’m glad you’re here. We need help finding Matthew."
"He was with everyone earlier. Where could he go?" Adam glanced over his shoulder and scowled. "Besides, I can’t help you. I’m with someone important."
He moved aside to reveal Frank Keller standing just behind him, holding a drink. Frank’s brow lifted.
"What’s the problem?" Frank asked.
Catherine squared her shoulders. "One of our classmates might be drunk and has gone up to a room with a woman. We’re worried about him."
Frank chuckled. "Men do that all the time. What’s wrong with a guy being in a room with a woman?"
Catherine gritted her teeth. "He looked wasted. He was slurring. I didn’t think it was safe."
Frank sighed and rolled his eyes. "I don’t have time for this."
"Adam, you drove that limousine earlier. You should be responsible if something happens to Matthew," Catherine said.
"Why are you blaming me like I made him do something he shouldn’t? I was with Mr. Keller in the bar. I didn’t see Matthew there and thought he was at the event."
"Well, I saw him leave with a woman I didn’t recognize," Catherine said. "You’re his friend. Shouldn’t you be concerned about this?"
Adam sighed, frustration clear on his face. Then he looked at Frank. "Would you mind helping us just this once? If there’s really someone in there... maybe you can stand as our witness. I will show you that thing after."
Frank’s attention shifted. He raised an eyebrow and looked back at Catherine and the others. "Fine. One look around the hotel. After that, I’m done. This isn’t really my business, so I’m calling the police if I see something illegal going on."
Lenox nodded. "Thank you. But Matthew is my brother. He wouldn’t do anything... like that."
Catherine frowned but quickly said, "Let’s go. I know which room it is."
The group stepped out of the elevator. Just as they did, a woman burst out of one of the rooms, wrapped in a white bedsheet stained with blood.
Seeing them, the woman paled before she screamed. "Help! Please help me!"