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The Su family's private hospital was in absolute chaos.
White-clad doctors rushed about with furrowed brows, nurses whispered frantically in corners, and the director's voice echoed across the hall as he barked orders.
Even the security guards, usually upright and professional, stood stiff, their eyes darting nervously to the blinking monitors in the surveillance room.
Because Madam Su had vanished.
Not in the streets.
Not outside the building.
Not in the city.
No—she had vanished inside the hospital.
—
It had happened less than an hour ago.
She had gone to the doctor's office, collected the discharge papers for Old Master Su, and was walking back toward the elevator.
There was nothing unusual about her movements.
Nothing strange about her demeanor.
She was even holding the papers in one hand, her head slightly lowered as she scrolled through her phone.
The security footage had caught all of this. Every second.
Until the cameras glitched.
A ripple of static. A blackout of three seconds.
That was all.
When the screen cleared, the elevator was still there.
The doors were still open. But Madam Su… was gone.
Three seconds.
That was all it had taken.
The director replayed the footage again and again, sweat dripping down his temples.
Each time, the outcome was the same.
She was there. Then she wasn't.
"What could anyone do in three seconds?" a nurse whispered, her voice trembling. "Three seconds only… how is it possible?"
"Three seconds… that's all it took…" one said.
"How could someone disappear in three seconds?" another whispered. "Unless… unless—"
The girl swallowed hard, her eyes darting to the shadowy corners of the hospital corridor. "Unless there are ghosts here…"
The word "ghost" spread quickly, whispered from one person to another until the entire floor seemed to shiver.
Superstition wasn't unusual in a country with deep traditions, but saying it aloud—in this place—this hospital—made the air grow colder.
Several nurses flinched and hurried away, whispering prayers under their breath.
It was absurd. It was terrifying. And it was bizarre.
Because despite the frantic search, they found nothing.
Every room was checked, every corner swept.
They even opened janitor closets and storage rooms.
Nothing.
Not a single trace of her.
It was as though Madam Su had evaporated into thin air.
—
Outside, the sharp screech of tires cut through the night. A sleek black car pulled into the driveway.
The driver jumped out, hurrying to open the back door.
A pair of long, pale legs in designer heels stepped onto the pavement.
The woman's figure was elegant, poised.
Su Meilin.
She walked towards the entrance but the sight that greeted her inside made her blood run cold.
One glance at the chaotic lobby made her heart stop beating for half a second.
Doctors. Nurses. Security guards.
Even the director himself.
All of them looked frantic, like ants scattering after their hill had been destroyed.
Her first thought struck her like lightning.
Grandfather.
Her breath hitched. Her face drained of color.
Not again. Please, not again.
It had always been like this.
Each time her grandfather was due for discharge, trouble struck.
Always perfectly timed.
Her heels clicked frantically against the tiles as she ran, nearly tripping in her rush.
The sharp pain of her ankle twisting made her stumble, but she didn't stop.
—
At the corner of the corridor, a young nurse with documents in her arms was hurrying toward the elevator.
Without hesitation, Su Meilin grabbed her by the wrist.
The nurse spun around, irritation flashing in her eyes.
She opened her mouth to scold—until her gaze landed on who had stopped her.
Her breath hitched. Her words froze in her throat.
"Young… Young Miss…" she stammered, her lips twitching into a forced smile.
Su Meilin's sharp gaze swept over her and caught her irritation.
She noted it down silently, promising herself she would remember this nurse's face.
Later—later, when this was over—she would deal with her.
But right now, she had no time for such pettiness.
Right now—
"What's happening?" her voice was tight, strained. "What happened to my grandfather? Did something happen to him again?"
The nurse blinked rapidly, shaking her head. "No, Young Miss, it's not the Chairman. The Chairman is still resting."
Su Meilin froze.
Relief washed through her for a brief, fleeting second.
Then the nurse spoke again.
"It's Madam. Madam is missing."
The words hit her like a knife. Her lips parted slightly. Her body went rigid.
"…My mother?"
The nurse nodded quickly. "Yes. Madam Su… she disappeared."
Su Meilin's mind blanked.
Disappeared?
How could her mother—inside their own hospital—simply disappear?
"How?" Her voice cracked. "How can a person disappear in a hospital filled with people? Explain!"
The nurse swallowed hard. "She was walking back from the doctor's office after clearing the Chairman's discharge. She was entering the elevator when… when she was gone."
Su Meilin's brows furrowed tightly. "Gone? What do you mean gone?"
The nurse's lips trembled. "The surveillance camera went dark for three seconds. And when it came back… Madam was gone. The director and doctors all saw it."
Three seconds.
The words echoed in Su Meilin's mind, over and over.
Her fingers trembled against her handbag.
It didn't make sense. None of it made sense.
Not at all.
Her thoughts raced, piecing fragments together.
Could it be… them again?
Her chest tightened.
That pair of monsters. Eric. William.
They always lurked in the shadows of her life, striking when she least expected it.
Her vision blurred for a moment with a hot surge of anger and fear.
What are you planning this time? What do you want from me?
The nurse excused herself and hurried into the elevator, leaving Su Meilin standing in the middle of the hall, shaken and pale.
—
Her breath shook as she dug into her handbag with trembling fingers.
She pulled out her phone, scrolling quickly to find a number.
William.
She pressed the call button. The dial tone echoed in her ear.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Each unanswered second sank deeper into her chest like a knife.
Nobody answered.
Her heart sank. Her palms grew clammy.
Was it really them? Did they take her mother too?
Her chest heaved as she switched to another number.
Her thumb hovered for a brief second before she pressed it.
Eric.
The line connected after two rings.
"Princess?" His voice was smooth, lazy, almost amused.
—
In a dark room, his face was half-lit by the glow of a cigarette.
William lounged nearby, his expression unreadable.
A third man, tall and dark-skinned, leaned against the wall, his eyes glinting.
"You monster—" Su Meilin's voice broke, trembling with fury. "Where is my mother? What did you do to her?!"
Eric's brows rose in surprise. "Your mother?"
Her voice cracked, pleading. "Please… where is she? I'll give you anything you want—money, contracts—just don't hurt her. Please…"
A beat of silence.
Then Eric chuckled.
Cruel, mocking, the sound digging under her skin.
"What does that have to do with me?" he asked softly.
And then—click. He hung up.
The dead tone buzzed in her ear.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
—
Su Meilin stood frozen, the phone pressed to her ear, the sharp tone buzzing like knives in her skull.
Tears stung her eyes as her knees nearly gave out.
She leaned against the wall, clutching her chest.
Why? Why is everything happening like this?
Her grandfather was gravely ill. She had overheard her father whispering that another company was stealing contracts from Su Group.
Now her mother was missing.
And at the center of it all—Eric and William.
What do you want from me? Why won't you let me live in peace?
She bit her lip so hard the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
At least… at least one thing was still in her hands. Elva Allure's newly released facemask and serum were selling. Customers were excited, enthusiastic.
It gave her a sliver of hope.
But she knew. Deep down, she knew.
People weren't buying because of the product.
They were buying because of her name.
Because she was Liang Yexuan's fiancée.
Yes. Liang Yexuan.
Her heart thudded. Her trembling hands tightened around the phone.
He will help me. He has to. He's my fiancé. He won't abandon me… right?
Her fingers scrolled quickly. She found his name. Pressed it.
The line began to ring.
She held her breath, her entire body tense, her chest aching with desperation.
Please answer… please, Yexuan…
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