She began drifting around, inspecting the luxurious room as though she were on a casual house tour, which only made Ali stiffen further on the bed.

"Hm... well, you are right. You have seen me before... in the very lobby of this place... Victorian Heights. I lived here, you see, on the third floor."

Aliana’s mouth fell open in disbelief. "You... lived here?" Her voice quivered in the quiet room.

"That’s right," the woman replied, turning to face her again. "Up until about a month ago. I was on my way to a party. Looking absolutely stunning, might I add."

She lifted her chin slightly before continuing, "But as I was coming down the stairs of my house... hmm, let me recall..." She tapped a finger thoughtfully against her chin. "Ah, yes. My gown got caught in one of the many decorative plant pots I had so tastefully placed along the staircase."

She paused, then sighed. "Naturally, instead of calmly fixing it like a sensible person, I pulled at it. Lost my balance. And down I went... along with half the pottery collection."

She gave a small, unimpressed look. "Quite the dramatic exit, if you ask me."

"The next thing I know, I wake up only to find my body lying there... in a rather undignified position, covered in mud and blood." She grimaced slightly. "It’s really tragic as I spent a lifetime maintaining elegance, only to end up looking like I lost a fight with my own home décor."

Shaking her head in clear disappointment, she narrated her own death as though it were an inconvenient mishap rather than a tragedy.

Aliana, on the other hand, had her mouth hanging open as she listened to her story.

"I begged and called for help, for someone to see me or hear me, but then I realised I was nothing more than a ghost in my own house," she sighed again.

A trace of sadness crept into her voice, and Ali caught it.

Despite everything, Ali couldn’t help but feel sorry for the woman. She did not even know her, and yet... she was standing here, having a conversation with a ghost.

Not knowing what else to say, Ali cleared her throat softly. "I-I’m sorry to hear that."

The woman waved her hand dismissively. "Don’t bother, I’m over it," she said, already drifting away, this time towards Ali’s walk-in closet.

Ali’s eyes followed her like a hawk. After a brief hesitation, she carefully got off the bed. Her steps were uncertain as she slowly made her way towards the closet where the woman had disappeared.

As she entered, she found the woman inspecting her designer collection of bags and shoes arranged neatly on the shelves.

"Hmm... you have a very nice collection here," the woman remarked.

"Uh... thank you." Ali remained at the entrance of her closet before gathering the courage to ask again, "So... how did you end up here? In my house?"

"Oh..." The woman let out a dry, almost hollow chuckle.

"I grew bored of wandering through my own house, and I..." She paused, her expression darkening slightly. "I did not quite have the stomach to watch my husband screwing his mistress on our bed."

Her lips curved faintly, though there was no warmth in it. "So I thought... why not finally see the exclusive penthouse I always wanted to see?"

She turned to Ali, her gaze lingering a moment too long, and then the smile on her lips faded.

"However..." Her voice dropped with intrigue, "I did not expect you to be able to see me..."

Her pale eyes narrowed, locking onto Ali, "...or touch me... no," she corrected softly, "punch me."

Ali shifted uncomfortably where she stood before murmuring, "Believe me, this whole situation is as ridiculous to me as it is to you."

"It is..." The lady began to move closer to Ali again.

Ali’s eyes widened in alarm, and she started stepping back.

Her pulse raced as the ghost lady kept coming, even when Ali felt her back pressed against the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Wha... what do you want?" Ali asked in a panic.

The ghost lady simply closed the distance between them. "I wonder if I can touch you... just like you... touched me." She lifted her pale, lifeless hand and brought it close to Ali’s face.

"N-no! Stop it!" Ali exclaimed breathlessly, eyeing the woman’s hand as it inched closer.

But the woman didn’t stop.

Ali’s eyes grew wider, and sweat trickled down her back.

Just as the woman’s finger neared her cheek, Ali felt a faint, icy sensation in contact, and then the door to her room burst open.

Ali jumped in fright, her head snapping towards the door, only to find Jade standing there.

"What the hell, Ali! I called and called! Why aren’t you picking up your ph-" Jade trailed off when she noticed how pale Ali looked, cold sweat breaking across her face.

Jade dropped her purse to the floor and rushed towards her, wrapping her arms tightly around her. "Oh my God, are you okay?" Her voice was laced with worry.

Ali could not stop shivering. Her eyes darted around the room, only to realise the ghostly woman was gone. And that was when she finally allowed herself to break.

Clutching her best friend tightly, tears slipped from her eyes as she whispered, "No... I’m not okay, J... I’m not."

Jade held onto her, letting her cry it all out.

An hour later, four cocktails deep, Ali and Jade sat in silence in the penthouse’s cosy outdoor bar.

Ali looked completely drained, while Jade still wore an expression of utter shock. They sat side by side, staring out at the city lights below. A light breeze caressed their faces until Jade finally found her voice.

"So, you’re telling me... that since the moment you woke up in the hospital, you’ve been haunted this whole time?" she asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and awe.

Ali nodded before taking another long swallow of the drink Jade had mixed for her.

"And that’s not all," Jade continued, turning to her. "You’re saying the accident outside my club was caused by a ghost, too?"

"Yes. You saw the CCTV footage. You saw me running toward something." Ali sighed, staring into her glass. "Apparently, I’m the only one who can see them. No wonder your guards thought I was drunk or losing my mind."

After crying in Jade’s arms and spilling every secret she had carried for the past few weeks, Aliana felt exceptionally lighter. She was beyond grateful that her best friend was there with her.

With that thought, she turned her grey eyes back to Jade. "Also... I’m surprised to see you. What made you decide to drop by tonight?"