*Bang!
The sharp crack of a gunshot echoed through the house as Liu Shan replayed the video call. The masked man's distorted voice rang out, followed by a cruel, mocking laugh.
"It's called a cliffhanger."
His words reverberated in Yue Ling's mind, looping with the sound of that single shot. Her eyes stayed locked on the screen, fixed on the image of the masked man as if willing his mask to peel away—so she could see the face behind the cruelty.
A long silence stretched. Then, with a steady breath, she rose to her feet, eyes still pinned to the screen now showing her brother.
"Find everything. Trace the footage, the audio, any signal that could lead us back to him. I want every detail, no matter how small."
She turned to leave, only to be stopped by a gentle hand closing around hers. She looked down to find Lu Tian, his eyes asking what words didn't.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'm just going to pay our guest another visit."
