I stepped out of the room and headed straight to my desk. My hand moved quickly, grabbing my bag lying next to the chair. My heart was still pounding, my mind filled with the chaos that had just happened.
Without delay, I unzipped the bag and dug through it, looking for my small phone—the one David had given me. But… nothing.
My brows furrowed. I tried again, this time more frantically. My hand swept through everything inside, shifting around my wallet, pens, small notebook—everything was there, except that little phone.
“Don’t panic,” I whispered softly.
I opened the first drawer of the desk. Only a yellow folder filled with documents and a pack of gum. The second drawer was even emptier—just a stapler and a laptop charger. I s
I lowered my head, trying to calm myself, but I couldn’t escape the reality that had just been revealed. I never imagined that my involvement in this case could drag David's name into it.I hoped Harry didn’t know more than he let on. I hoped this was all just speculation. But the pounding of my heart said otherwise.I stared at my laptop screen, trying to focus on what I needed to do next, but my mind kept circling back to David.I quickly closed my laptop and stuffed it into my bag. “Jack, I have to go,” I said in a low, hurried voice. Jack turned to me, confused. “What? Where are you going?”
Jack and Sam were coiling cables and tidying up the cameras. The interview and the technology event were over. The room slowly emptied. The stage and chairs began to be rearranged. Meanwhile, the guests and investors entered another room for a meal together.“Hey, are you okay?” Jack asked, making sure I was fine.“Yes, I am okay,” I said, a little nervously.“You seem to have been hurt a lot lately.” He pointed to my neck. “I’ve seen your neck hurt several times. What happened?”“It... it’s nothing. Just bumped into a door, maybe,” I replied, trying to sound casual.“If someone hurt you...” Jack continued, his voice now quieter, but serious. “You can tell me, Hanna. I won’t just stay quiet.”I looked up slowly. “Thank you, Jack,”The words almost caught in my throat, but I managed to say them calmly enough. Jack just nodded, then turned around to check his camera tripod again.Just as we were preparing to leave, Sam suddenly shouted, his voice anxious and hurried, “Hey! You guys have
I didn’t know which case to solve first. The deeper I got into this mess, the more evidence I found that implicated the Thomas Family.Carlos’s death led me into a new danger I had never anticipated. Regarding the code Carlos gave me during our last meeting, I still remember it to this day, and I will never reveal it to anyone, not even to David.As Doctor John said, I will play this entire game to the end, until I win it. So, I’ll start with Liam.Today, Liam, one of our friends, and I were assigned to cover a new technology development event at the White Building along with several heirs, including Mr. Thomas. A large screen already displayed the meeting title: Technology for the Future.We began setting up our camera at the back of the room along with other media crews. We tidied up the cables on the floor to keep the walkways clear for staff. Liam was busy adjusting the lens focus, while I double-checked the audio settings. Our friend, Sam, arranged the tripod and ensured the tran
I never expected that his presence would change my life. I thought I could control it like I had before. But this is heavier. Liam was right, I can't even control my own fear.It's three in the morning, and I still can't close my eyes. My body is tired, but my eyes refuse to fall asleep.I pull my blanket, covering half of my body. Meanwhile, David sits beside me, silent, thinking about something I can't guess. His breath is steady."Sleep, Hanna. You have to sleep." His voice softly greets my ears at three in the morning."I can't." I say flatly. My position doesn't change, still facing away from him. "Why do you keep sitting there? You can leave."I hear him sigh. "I can't. I have to make sure that you are alright."
I sat on the sofa, wrapping myself in a blanket while two police officers interrogated me. Matthew had been with the police since the sirens stopped in front of the building. He said he was the one who called the police after hearing the commotion from outside my room.The CCTV was off, and the knife that could have been used as evidence because it had Liam's fingerprints on it also disappeared, as if everything had been clearly orchestrated. How could the CCTV not work during the incident? Someone must have tampered with it beforehand. Hearing the officer’s explanation, I had already suspected it. Whoever did it, whether it was Liam or David, they were two people I could never defeat alone and unarmed.All the evidence pointing to David and Liam was gone. Everything was gone. The evidence I had gathered over weeks vanished without a trace."So, you didn’t see what he looked like?"I shook my head. Lied. “They were wearing masks and everything was covered.”“What about his voice?” I s
As David stepped in, Liam suddenly snatched the knife from my hand and pulled me toward him, placing the blade right against my throat.My breath caught, my heart pounded in my chest, while the knife I had just held was now pressed hard against my skin. The pressure was sharp and cold, enough to tell me how dangerous this situation truly was."One more step," Liam said in a low voice, almost a threat, "and I won’t hesitate to kill her."I could feel the chill of the blade against my neck, my body trapped in his iron grip. The room fell silent. All I could hear was the thumping of my racing heartbeat, merging with my short, trembling breaths.David froze in place, his eyes shifting between Liam and me. His gaze was calcu
“Who are you?” I said bravely.The knocking sound stopped. Silence. The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the ticking of the clock and the beating of my heart.I latch the door. Then he took the doorknob and opened the door slowly. You could just about see the figure behind the door because there was a small gap in it.He was neatly dressed, wearing a grey suit and black shoes. He stood in the middle, between the two bodyguards, looking relaxed. He has his hands in his trouser pockets and is looking at the crack in my door.Liam.He smiled in a silly way and lifted one hand as if to say hello.“What are you doing here?”“Is that a question?” He asked, not curious, but as if dismissive of my question. “I really wanted to see you.”“What for?” I said quietly in the doorway.“Hey, listen,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck as if trying to calm himself down. Then he took a step closer to my door, which was half-open. His voice sounded a little heavy, almost like a whispe
I reached for the camera from the bottom drawer, my fingers feeling cold as I gripped it tightly. For a moment, I took a deep breath, trying to calm the rapid beating of my heart. With heavy steps, I left the warmth of the building behind me, walking toward the exit door.Down there, by the dimly lit street, a black van was waiting. Its headlights were off, but I could feel the invisible gaze watching every movement I made. The night air felt colder, piercing my skin like tiny needles.I quickened my pace, the camera clutched tightly against my chest, as if it could serve as a shield between me and the danger that might be lurking.When I finally stepped up next to the van, I tapped on the window. Hoping they'd come out.“Get out!”The van remained still, no sign of the window rolling down or the door opening.“Hey, GET OUT!” I shouted, my voice louder than usual.A few seconds passed in tense silence until a soft click was heard. The van’s window cracked open just a little.“Sorry, ma
The scariest thing is when we think we're protected but we’re not.The atmosphere in this room is still the same as when I first came here. Lonely and frightening. I sat on the sofa, my back pressed tightly against the backrest, eyes fixed on the firmly closed front door. My breathing tried to remain calm but my racing heartbeat betrayed me. Only the ticking of the wall clock and the soft hum of the AC kept me company while I waited for the security staff to arrive.Five minutes passed. Suddenly, the doorbell shattered the silence. I jolted.“Security staff” a voice from behind the door said flatly, formal, but there was something off. Too calm. Too perfect.I didn’t respond right away. My heart pounded hard. I stared at the wooden door, trying to pierce it with my gaze. I touched the tip of the knife to my pants leg just in case. “Please show your ID” I said, trying to sound firm though my voice came o