The only person who's capable of doing this was none other than Elliot—the person who was determined to kill Don William.
It was as Ella and Anna were thinking about it, the reporter made another announcement:
"Mr. Salvador is here to offer his condolences with his son Elliot Glacian."
Anna and Ella were shocked hearing that name. Why was the very person who destroyed William here to offer condolences? While they were still processing, Salvador reached the podium, giving his speech about how William was his friend and how close they were. His face was straight, his expression sad—like it hadn't been his order to eliminate him and erase his name from the city's history.
After Salvador ended his speech about William, Elliot reached the podium. Behind him stood Andrea, both wearing black suits and sunglasses. Elliot too was dressed in all black, wearing sunglasses and a ring on his hand that shone under the sun's rays, sparkling with a red stone at its center.
"Don William's revenge will be taken. It was a cold-blooded murder. We will find who did it, and our family will help Commissioner James."
After hearing this, both Ella and Anna dropped their faces. The one who killed William would now be the one helping cops investigate the murder. It was a laughable scene.
"Hope they find out who did it," Liam muttered while drinking his coffee.
Shortly after that, Liam and Emily left for the shop, leaving both girls alone at home.
Ella's phone started ringing. She picked it up, but seeing who was calling made her nervous. Her face showed it all. Anna leaned in and looked—it was none other than Elliot.
"What should I do?" Ella asked Anna nervously.
"Pick up, what else?" Anna replied, curious why he was calling.
"H…hello," Ella stuttered.
"Did you reach home safely?" Elliot asked in a soft voice.
"Yes," Ella answered, still stuttering.
"And hello, monkey," Elliot added, knowing the phone was on speaker.
"Fuck off," Anna snapped.
"You're getting bold, monkey," Elliot chuckled.
"Did you see me on the news? Wasn't I great?"
"Yeah, we saw you," Ella replied, her cheeks flustering.
"Wanna grab lunch? It's on me."
Ella looked at Anna for an answer. She wanted to say yes, but after last night she was scared of him. Anna shook her head, giving a serious expression, waving her hands desperately to say no.
"Mm… no, sorry. I'm tired, I want to get some rest."
"Ooh yeah, it was a hectic night. Well, you won't have any problem regarding that incident. Don't worry."
"You should rest then. We'll grab lunch next time," Elliot said.
"Yes…" Ella stuttered.
"Bye," Elliot added before hanging up.
"Ahhhhhhhh that fuckerrrrrrrr!" Anna screamed at the top of her lungs, loud enough for even passersby on the street to hear.
Ella didn't say anything. She just sat there, thinking about what happened last night—how Elliot held her in his arms, how boldly he saved her.
"Don't think about him," Anna said, looking at Ella.
"How do you know?" Ella asked, confused.
"Your cheeks are red," Anna replied.
Ella grew even shyer, as if someone had revealed her embarrassing secret to the world.
"What's happening…" Ella whispered.
"That's just dangerous love, right there," Anna said, placing her hand on Ella's. "I'm more surprised you don't have any trauma or mental depression after seeing all that. You're mentally strong."
"Thanks," Ella muttered.
The room fell silent again. They both turned their eyes to the TV, watching how the rest of Don William's ceremony unfolded. The assets were supposed to be divided among William's relatives, but surprisingly, almost 95% was donated to the Salvador Foundation—for charity, they claimed.
The whole empire that once belonged to William Andrason was now under the Glacian family. This incident was a warning to all the other families of what happens when you go against Salvador. Who you are doesn't matter—you'll be wiped from the earth without a trace.
After a few moments, Ella broke the silence.
"Anna, can I ask something?"
"Yeah, go ahead," Anna replied, munching on some chips.
"How do you know him?"
Anna looked at her without answering right away.
"…Why do you want to know?" she asked finally.
"Because I can't ignore it any longer," Ella said with a serious face.
Anna sighed and leaned back.
"Well… it was like five years ago, when we shifted here," she began. "I was fifteen, and an idiot. I wanted to explore this city, so I started visiting famous places alone. I didn't have friends back then. One day I came across a post online about a lake outside the city. They said it was magical—that if you threw a coin and wished for something, it would come true."
"Then what happened?" Ella asked, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Hey, be patient. Don't break the flow," Anna said, tapping her forehead lightly.
"So… I wanted to go there. My parents said no—it was dangerous. But I didn't listen. I told them I was going to the park, then sneaked away. It took me two hours to reach. But when I got there, it felt like humanity had gone extinct. Not a soul in sight. I thought maybe it was just a working day, so I started climbing the mountain."
Anna's eyes narrowed, her face heavy with regret, like she'd give her soul just to stop her younger self from going there.
"I walked straight, but before I knew it, I was lost. No signal. No people. I screamed for help at the top of my lungs. All I had were some snacks and water, and they were almost finished. I thought I'd be one of those kids you see in missing posters. I was about to cry… and then I heard footsteps. Someone was walking toward me, wearing a black jacket and trousers. He came carefully, step by step."
"Was it Elliot?" Ella asked eagerly.
"I told you not to break the flow!" Anna shouted.
"Okay, okay, sorry. Please continue," Ella said.
"It wasn't Elliot. It was someone else. He came near me, and I thought I was saved. I asked, 'Mister, can you help me?' with tears in my eyes. He smiled and said, 'Why not, little girl? Follow me, I'll take you to the road.'
"So I followed him. He walked like he knew the forest, like he lived there. After an hour, we reached a wooden house deep in the mountain. No soul around. The place gave off a creepy aura, like it would consume me whole."
"Where are we, mister?" I asked, scared.
"In the magic lake," he said.
"That's when it hit me. He was the one who spread those rumors about the lake. He looked at me with the creepiest smile I had ever seen, then started walking toward me. I wanted to run, but my legs wouldn't move. My strength was gone after walking so much. He grabbed my hand and slapped me across the face. I lost consciousness.
"When I woke, I was chained. He sat in front of me, smiling like a madman. 'Ain't you cute, young lady?' he said. I shouted, 'Fuck, untie me, you ugly bastard!' He just laughed. 'My, my, full of anger, are we?'
"I asked why he was doing this. He said, 'There are many reasons. Because of someone, I'm forced to hide here. I was lonely. And then you came… reading about some fake lake.' He slapped me again when I screamed. My tears fell. I regretted everything—sneaking out, not listening to my parents. I prayed to God to save me."
Anna's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes distant.
"He took out a knife. He cut my shirt from the stomach up toward my chest, saying, 'Don't move, or it'll scar. You don't want that, right?' He smiled, saying he'd make me happy, that I'd enjoy it. My will died right there. I thought my life was over. That I'd become his slave, like in those stories you hear about rape victims.
"But then—bang—the door burst open. A figure stood there in the dark, tall, sharp-faced, muscular. His aura filled the room, crushing everything. The man who had been so high and mighty a moment before started shivering.
"'Why are you here? How did you find me?' he asked.
"The figure's voice was deep, cutting through the night. 'You made me work extra hard.' Then he snarled, 'And what the fuck are you doing with that girl, you bastard?'
"The kidnapper fell to his knees, begging for his life. 'Please forgive me this time, sir!' he cried."*
Ella's eyes widened.
"Who came in? Who was it?"
Anna opened her mouth.
"It was "
Ring.
The doorbell chimed.
"Anyone inside? Delivery here," a familiar voice called from outside.