LOGINThe office door opened slowly, and three men stepped inside with uneven, limping strides. Their faces were bruised, one of them with a split lip. Another held his ribs, struggling to hide the pain every time he breathed. None of them dared lift their heads too high.The spacious, dark-toned room sud
The car cut through the increasingly quiet streets of the night. City lights flashed past the windows, but Naomi didn’t see any of it. Curled up in the back seat, she wrapped both arms around herself, still trembling from head to toe. Every few breaths caught in her throat before breaking into stifl
Naomi stumbled back against the wall, gasping for breath, able only to stare with wide eyes.The man who had slapped her seized her again, yanking her close as a shield. “Don’t come any closer!”Liu looked at him without blinking. “Let her go.”“Or what?”Liu moved so fast Naomi barely saw it.In on
BANG! BANG! BANG!The pounding on the apartment door felt like a hammer striking directly against Naomi’s chest. Her fingers trembled as she held the phone to her ear, waiting for the call to connect. But before anyone could answer, she heard the sound of metal being forced from the outside. The doo
Naomi said nothing more. She walked to her unit, pushed open the apartment door, and stepped inside. Before closing it, she noticed Liu still standing in the hallway, watching until the door was fully shut and locked.The room was small, cramped, and far from comfortable, yet tonight it felt like th
“Thank you,” Naomi said, bowing her head slightly to Liu, who had escorted her home that night. Her voice was soft, nearly swallowed by the whisper of the night wind slipping through the corridor of the old apartment building where she lived. The hallway lights glowed dimly, casting long shadows acr
Cale’s words left Lydia silent for several seconds.Her hand, which had still been gently massaging his temple, slowly stopped. She allowed him to sit back up beside her. Even then, Cale didn’t look away from her, as though there was something he needed to make clear.She stared at him—now fully awa
Harold coughed. Blood trickled from his nose and split his lip. Still, he let out a weak laugh—thin, broken, but stubborn.Cale leaned down slightly.“Do you know the consequences of what you’ve done?” His voice was low, heavy with pressure. “Because of you, my family lived under constant fear for w
The pain no longer mattered. There was only one thought in his mind.Get out. Be free.At last, he reached the door. His trembling hand reached for the handle. He pulled it with all the strength he had left. The door opened. No guards blocked their way.None.Beyond it, the corridor lay empty. Harol
The concrete room fell silent again after the call ended.The spotlight above Harold’s head still blazed harshly, throwing sharp shadows across a face already mottled with bruises. One of his hands remained bound behind the metal chair. Dried blood clung to the corner of his lips, and the swelling o







