In the days that followed, Liana found herself visiting Alena and Ethilia more often. Her bond with Alena deepened. Alena's Daycare was long forgotten as Liana became her all-time favorite besides her mother.
Quietly, Liana also stationed guards near Ethilia's apartment, ensuring their safety without ever letting them realize they were being protected.
Ethilia wasn't ready to be fully dependent on Liana. Yet, she was already depending on Liana without realizing it.
That night, back at her own home, Liana sat on the balcony, scrolling through her phone for updates on the attackers. Even though she had changed her phone three times in the past month, the uneasy feeling of being tracked never left her.
As she stepped into her bedroom, Alex was already waiting. He bowed his head slightly, greeting her. "Boss, we've tried to track them, but found nothing. It's as if they vanished without a trace."
He paused, watching her reaction before continuing. "And… your fans are getting restless. They're questioning your sudden absence. So, the CEO wants you at the next fan sign."
Liana bit her lip, waving him off with a hand before sinking onto the bed. Her head swirled with questions and uncertainty.
"What if they attack Ethilia or Alena when I'm not here? What if they're trying to lure me back into the city? Is this all part of their plan?"
Her thoughts were shattered when the door opened again. Char walked in, holding two cups of ice cream. "So? I heard you're going back?" she asked, settling beside her.
Liana exhaled heavily, accepting a cup. "Mm… the CEO keeps calling, and the fans are starting to suspect something's wrong with me."
Char scooped a spoonful and burst out laughing. "Well, I saw a reel saying you might be secretly married."
Liana let out a laugh and smacked Char's arm lightly. "Too much…" She scooped a spoonful and brought it close to her lips, but froze halfway.
Char froze mid-bite, eyes narrowing in confusion. "What's wrong? I thought you loved ice cream." Her tone carried more surprise than question, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Biting her lip, Liana set the cup down and grabbed her phone. "I do… but Alena loves it too." She quickly dialed Ethilia's number.
Char's spoon halted mid-air. She raised a brow, then slowly licked the spoon absentmindedly, her eyes fixed on Liana.
The concern in Liana's voice, the closeness she'd grown with the little girl, stunned her.
Liana waited until Ethilia finally picked up. "Hey, Ethilia?"
From the other end came a harsh, sleepy voice, clearly just woken up. "Nope… I'm her spirit," she muttered grumpily, a hint of sarcasm in her tone.
A sharp laugh left Liana's lips despite herself. "Shut up."
Ethilia let out a small chuckle. "So, why are you calling this late?" She yawned and glanced at the clock. "It's past midnight."
Liana stood up and walked back to the balcony. The cold night air hit her, making her shiver slightly as she leaned against the railing.
"I wanted to know what Alena is doing… and…" She hesitated, biting her lip.
On the other end, Ethilia sat up against the headboard, gripping the phone tightly. Her brows knitted in slight concern. "She's asleep… why?"
Liana hugged herself with one arm while holding the phone in the other, eyes drifting to the night sky. "Umm… nothing, really. Just… someone got ice cream for me, so…"
Ethilia's smile faltered, her eyes narrowing as a flicker of jealousy crept in. "At this hour? Who… who got ice cream for you?" Her voice was tight, even though she tried to hide the tension.
A small smile spread across Liana's face. "Char… who else would it be?" She glanced down at her hand, which was now holding the railing, then back at the night sky.
Ethilia shifted uncomfortably, biting her lower lip. "That morning too… that was Char with you. Is she staying there or what?" Her fingers fiddled with the edge of the blanket around her waist.
Liana hummed softly, secretly enjoying Ethilia's reaction. Maybe… just maybe, Ethilia was finally feeling something too. "Yes, she's staying here. You know she's a detective. So, she is just helping with the case."
Ethilia took a deep breath. Hearing that Char was there, she suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore. Her lips pressed into a small pout, a faint sulk crossing her face.
Liana frowned and pressed, "Ethilia? You there?"
She walked a few steps along the balcony and settled into a chair, one hand holding the phone while the other rested on her lap, her eyes still on the night sky.
Only a soft hum answered her. Ethilia's fingers still twirled the blanket absently, her gaze shifting to Alena, who stirred slightly in her sleep. "Hmm… Alena will wake up if I keep talking… Talk to you tomorrow?"
Liana sighed, running a hand through her hair, torn between explaining herself or ending the call. But before she could decide, Ethilia had already hung up and settled back down.
Cradling Alena close, Ethilia held her daughter snug against her chest, brushing a soft hand over her back. "I don't like Char," she muttered to herself.
Alena shifted and nuzzled into her mother, but Ethilia's sleep had long gone.
Meanwhile, Liana kept staring at the phone screen, a small pout forming on her lips. Char appeared at her side and leaned slightly forward.
"Why are you pouting?" she asked, a teasing smile on her face.
Liana shook her head. "Nothing… go and sleep…" she whispered, closing her phone and walking back into the bedroom.
Char rolled her eyes, tailing Liana back to the bedroom, and flopped onto the bed. "Did she cut the call on you, or what?"
Liana lay down on her stomach, burying her face into the pillow. Char grabbed a blanket and threw it over her, laughing as she teased, "Now you look like a mommy from Egypt."
She tugged another blanket around her. "I've put the ice cream back in the freezer."
Liana hummed and closed her eyes, but just like Ethilia, she couldn't sleep. She was restless, uncertain of what the next day or the attacker would bring.
She knew she would have to return to the main town and restart her life, but she wasn't ready, not until she discovered who the real attacker was, especially with Alena and Ethilia at risk
After a few minutes, she sat up and wrapped the blanket around herself, still pouting. She glanced at Char, who was already sleeping peacefully.
"I can't understand how someone can fall asleep so quickly," she murmured, letting out a small sigh as she stood up. She slowly walked to the door, opening it with the utmost care so as not to make a sound.
Stepping into the hall, she paused when she noticed Alex's room light was on. "What's Alex doing at this hour?" A flicker of unease crept into her mind, but she pushed it aside and continued walking.
She strolled through the garden and settled onto the swing, wrapping the blanket tightly around her as she let herself sink into the gentle night air.
Closing her eyes, a small chuckle escaped her lips as she thought of how close she had grown to Alena and Ethilia over the past month. She opened her eyes and gazed at the moon, feeling a rare, fleeting peace.
But it didn't last long. The distant hum of a car engine pierced the quiet night, and her eyes snapped toward the driveway.
She stood abruptly and walked toward the source of the noise, tilting her head as she tried to see better. To her surprise, the car belonged to the guards she had stationed to protect Ethilia and Alena.
She jogged toward them, the blanket slipping to the ground. "What are you guys doing here?" Her hands went cold at the thought of Ethilia and Alena being left unprotected.
Rio glanced at the others before holding up his phone toward her. "You texted us to report here…"
Liana's heart pounded as she looked at the screen. "But my phone is in my room!" she exclaimed, and her voice raised slightly.
"We need to get back there. Get in the car, everyone," Rio ordered, already anticipating the looming danger, or perhaps it had already struck.
Liana tried to run with them. "I'll join!" Her hands were trembling as she struggled to calm herself.
Rio shook his head firmly. "No, ma'am. Your life comes first to us. We can't take you." With that, the car drove off, leaving Liana standing there, tense and panicked.
She ran toward her room, not realizing how she entered the house or climbed the stairs. All she knew was that she needed to call Ethilia.
She grabbed another phone, one she hadn't told anyone about, and dialed Ethilia's number with shaky hands and gasping breaths.
"Please… pick up," she whispered harshly.