The atmosphere in the room was tense as they gathered around Luca, who had just pulled out a stack of recordings and pictures from his investigators. His face was grim, and the weight of the evidence in his hands seemed to carry the burden of the truth that was about to be unveiled.Ryan and Ivy sat across from him, their eyes wide with disbelief. Mrs. Jessica, still recovering from her emotional reunion with Ivy, watched from the side, her face pale but determined."I can’t believe this," Ivy muttered, her voice barely audible as she stared at the damning evidence laid out before them. "All these years, we’ve been living with a deceiving woman…"Ryan’s jaw clenched, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the edge of the table. "Mrs. Rose… my mother. How could she?"Luca placed the photographs in front of them—pictures of Parker and Mrs. Rose meeting secretly, exchanging envelopes, and whispering in the shadows. The recordings played softly in the background, Parker’s voice clear a
The tension in the room was palpable as all eyes turned to Luca, waiting for him to lay out the plan. His sharp eyes flickered to Ivy, who sat in the arms of Mrs. Jessica, her biological mother, still recovering from the emotional weight of the last few hours. Ivy’s expression was a mix of uncertainty and fear, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her dress."Ivy, listen carefully," Luca began, his voice calm but firm. "You’ll call the guy from the number we traced. You need to act like you know him, like you’ve met before. Make it sound like you’re excited to see him again. He might not give in right away, but you have to be persistent. Keep him hooked until he asks you to meet up. Once he does, we’ll come with you, and that’s when we’ll get a hold of him."Ivy stared at him, wide-eyed. "Are you sure this will work?"Luca gave her a reassuring nod. "I know it’s risky, but it’s our best shot. This guy is connected to the people who have Iris. If we can make him believe that you’re
Mr. Kendrick sat in his dimly lit mansion, the once lively space now a suffocating prison of silence. His isolation had deepened over the past few weeks, with fewer visits from Ryan and even less from the rest of his family. The only company he had was the television flickering in front of him, though he wasn’t paying attention. His mind was occupied with regrets, secrets, and the feeling of being slowly cut off from his own life.As he sat there, his phone, which had been dormant for hours, suddenly buzzed with a notification. At first, Mr. Kendrick ignored it, assuming it was another meaningless email or social media alert. However, the buzzing didn’t stop. One notification became two, then three, then a flurry of alerts, each arriving faster than the last. His hand hovered over the phone for a moment. Curiosity gnawed at him. What could be happening? With a shaking hand, he finally picked up the phone and unlocked it. What he saw made his heart skip a beat.His hands trembled v
Ryan rushed his father into the emergency room, barely taking a moment to breathe as the doctors immediately attended to Mr. Kendrick. His father was pale, weak, and barely conscious, and the sight of him in that condition twisted Ryan’s stomach into knots. He paced the waiting room, checking his phone for updates, and trying to keep a level head despite the whirlwind of emotions crashing over him. Moments later, his phone rang—it was his mother, Mrs. Rose, and Ivy."Ryan, where are you? We can't find you or Dad!" Mrs. Rose’s voice sounded frantic. Ryan clenched his jaw. He knew this would be coming. "I took him to another hospital, Mom. Dr. Parker’s hospital."There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a sharp intake of breath from Mrs. Rose. "Dr. Parker’s hospital? Why would you take him there, Ryan?"Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, trying to keep calm. "I didn’t know he was our family doctor, Mom. I’m still... struggling with some of my memory, remember?"Mrs. R
Mrs . Rose glanced over her shoulder, ensuring Ryan and Ivy had left the room with the doctor. Her husband lay unconscious in the hospital bed, his breathing shallow and his once-powerful frame now frail. Her heart pounded, but not out of concern for his well-being. It was fear—fear of being discovered. Quickly, she pulled out her phone and dialed Parker’s number. Her hand shook slightly as she waited for him to pick up. Finally, after a few rings, his deep voice came through the line.“Rose,” Parker said calmly, “what’s going on?”Mrs. Rose glanced nervously at her unconscious husband, lowering her voice to a whisper. “They’re running tests on Ken. I’m scared, Parker. What if they find the substance? What if they realize what I’ve been doing?”Parker’s voice remained steady, soothing her panic. “Relax, Rose. I told you before that the substance is untraceable. It’s designed to mimic natural deterioration, like stress and aging. They won’t find anything suspicious unless someone knows
Ryan’s hands trembled slightly as he slid the phone into his pocket, pacing in the hospital hallway. Luca stood next to him, concern etched across his face, while Ivy leaned against the wall, still on her call. Her conversation seemed calm, almost too calm for everything happening around them. Ryan kept glancing at Ivy, waiting for her to finish, but his thoughts were clouded with the disturbing messages he had been receiving ever since his father’s sudden collapse. The anonymous texts, the cryptic warnings—something wasn’t right, and it was driving him mad.Finally, Ivy ended her call and looked at him, her usual cold demeanor softening a little. “What’s going on, Ryan? You look stressed.”Ryan hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Luca, check the number that’s been sending me those anonymous messages. I need to know where they’re coming from. They’ve been popping up ever since all these problems started, and it can’t be a coincidence.”Luca frowned but nodded in agreem
The air in the small, enclosed room was thick with tension. Ryan sat on the edge of a chair, his fingers running through his hair as his mind replayed everything that had happened in the last few hours. Ivy stood in front of them, pacing as she recounted her conversation with the mysterious man she had been speaking to. Luca leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his face etched with concern. Ivy finally stopped pacing and looked at both of them. "It wasn’t easy at first, but I convinced him. He was hesitant, but when I showed him those pictures and videos... he couldn't resist. He thinks he’s going to meet up with the girl from the photos—he thinks it’s me."Ryan blinked, brought back to the moment by Ivy’s words. His mind had been elsewhere, haunted by the shocking discovery he had made on his father’s phone. The intimate photos, the betrayal—it was all too much to process. Luca, noticing Ryan’s distant gaze, nudged him. "Ryan, are you with us?"Ryan shook his head slightly, bringi
Iris jolted awake to the blinding sunlight filtering through the barred window of her room. For a moment, she felt disoriented, the events of the last few weeks crashing back into her mind with a painful clarity. She had been locked up here for what seemed like an eternity, and every day was a reminder of the uncertain future that awaited her.She shifted on the thin mattress, her body stiff from the confinement. But just as she tried to get comfortable, a sharp, unbearable pain shot through her waist and stomach, radiating down to her legs. A sudden sensation gripped her, one she had felt creeping for days but had brushed off out of fear. This time, it was undeniable.Iris gasped, her hand instinctively moving to her stomach, her fingers trembling. The pain increased, a sensation unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her breath caught in her throat, and before she could process what was happening, a scream ripped from her mouth. The sound echoed off the walls of the small room