In the stuffy basement, Sindy and Anthony began to despair."We have to get out of here," Sindy muttered, her voice hoarse.Anthony turned his head. "I know. But the guards here are too vigilant."“I’ve marked it. Every night at nine o’clock, the main lights are turned off briefly. Maybe that’s when they change shifts,” Sindy whispered, recalling.Anthony nodded. “Then we’ll try tonight. But we need a tool to cut these ropes first.”Sindy turned toward the corner of the room. “There’s a rusty nail on the back wall. If I can move a little toward it.”Anthony slowly turned his body. “We’ll work together. You push with your feet, and I’ll try to move my body in that direction.”With great effort, they began to slowly shift their bodies. Their movements were slow but steady. Meanwhile, the sound of footsteps outside the room grew increasingly rare. The hope was small, but it was enough to keep them going.On the other side of the city, an elegant restaurant in the business district was bu
That afternoon, in the midst of her busy schedule, Rebecca received a message from an unknown number. The message was brief but made her heart race.[Rebecca, it's me—Liam's mother. I've found your mother. She's at a remote hospital in the hills outside the city. Sorry I couldn't let you know sooner.]Rebecca immediately stood up from her chair, her face tense. Her hands trembled as she held the phone. Without hesitation, she called the number.“Is it true that you’ve found my mother?” Rebecca asked hurriedly, without any preamble.“Yes, Rebecca, I overheard Liam talking to someone. I grew suspicious, so I investigated discreetly. It turns out you’re right—your mother was taken to that hospital. But it seems her identity has been disguised; her name isn’t her real name.” Rebecca swallowed hard. “How is she?” “I haven’t been able to see her directly… The hospital is quite secluded.”Rebecca clenched her fists, holding back the rage boiling in her chest. “Thank you for the informa
That morning at the office, the atmosphere was business as usual. Staff members bustled about carrying files, typing reports, and answering phones. In the CEO's office on the top floor, Rebecca knocked on Samuel's door before entering, carrying a folder containing several documents."Good morning, Mr. Samuel. Here is your schedule for today," said Rebecca as she placed the folder on the desk.Samuel, sitting in his chair, looked at Rebecca with an expression that was hard to read.“What’s on my schedule for today?” he asked flatly.Rebecca opened the folder and began explaining calmly. “At ten o’clock, there’s a meeting with investors from Tokyo via Zoom. After that, at eleven, there’s an internal meeting with the finance and marketing divisions. At two in the afternoon, you’re scheduled to visit the new project site in the BSD area. And at four o’clock, there’s an interview with a business media outlet.” Samuel nodded slowly. “Then, here are the documents you need to sign today.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"The loud voice made Samuel and Rebecca freeze in place. They both turned simultaneously toward the source of the voice—and there stood Nora, her face red with anger and her eyes blazing with fury."Nora?" Samuel said softly, almost unable to believe that she had appeared out of nowhere.But Nora didn't care. She approached Rebecca quickly, then without warning, brutally pulled Rebecca's long hair."Aaakh! Let go!" Rebecca screamed, trying to push Nora's hand away."You slut! Do you think you can flirt with someone else's husband like that?!" Nora screamed.Rebecca, who had been holding back, immediately retaliated. Her hands grabbed Nora's hair tightly, causing both of them to pull each other without mercy. "You started it, Nora!" Rebecca snapped. "I'm not afraid of you!" "Enough!!" Samuel tried to intervene, grabbing Nora's shoulders and pulling her back. "Stop!"But Nora kept trying to attack. “She’s a cheap woman! Samuel! You saw it yourself, didn’t you?!
Nora slowly opened her eyes. The room light was still on, and Anthony's body felt heavy beside her. The man was asleep with his arm wrapped around her waist. His breathing was heavy, almost snoring. Nora's heart was racing. She couldn't take it anymore. Slowly, she moved her hand, reaching for the hairpin tucked behind the pillow. It was the only small item she had managed to save from Anthony’s search. “I’m sorry, but you deserve better than this,” Nora whispered softly. With a swift movement, Nora sat up, turned around, and immediately stabbed the sharp hairpin into Anthony’s arm. “AARGH!!” Anthony screamed loudly, waking up and grabbing his bleeding arm. His eyes widened as he saw Nora standing at the edge of the bed. “YOU’RE CRAZY?!” he shouted, jumping up and attacking her. Nora was forced to step back. Her body was pulled, her back colliding with the wardrobe. She winced, but her eyes remained focused. “I’LL KILL YOU, NORA!!” Anthony shouted again, blood dripping from
Rebecca pressed the elevator button with trembling fingers. Her breathing was still irregular, her face flushed not from embarrassment—but from anger and disappointment. The corridor of the apartment building was silent, except for the distant sound of the elevator motor slowly ascending to the floor where she stood.“You’re crazy…” Rebecca muttered softly, staring at the cold marble floor. She bit her lower lip, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. “I’ll never forgive him.”The sound of quick footsteps came from behind her. Rebecca didn’t turn around, assuming it might be the maid. But suddenly, her arm was pulled forcefully.“Mr. Samuel! What are you doing?!” Rebecca screamed, startled as her body was lifted and carried by Samuel.“Let go! Put me down!!” Rebecca struck Samuel’s chest repeatedly, but the man didn’t budge.“You can’t just run away like this, Rebecca,” Samuel replied flatly, but his eyes burned with an emotion that couldn’t be explained. “Put me down, Mr. S