"Anaa… help me…" That desperate voice filled Liana's mind, and flashbacks crashed over her like a blow she couldn't escape.
"Lia…" A whisper slipped from her lips as a tear rolled down her cheek. Her mind was fogged, unable to process anything, until she suddenly felt someone grasp her hand.
"Miss Celeste… can you hear me?" The voice was calm and professional. Liana instinctively clutched the hand tightly.
"Please open your eyes slowly…" the woman urged gently. Along with her voice came another sound, the steady beeping of a machine somewhere nearby.
Liana opened her eyes slowly. At first, everything was blurry, but gradually her vision cleared. The ceiling above her was stark white, and the smell of antiseptic told her immediately that she was in a hospital.
As she tried to move, pain shot through the back of her head, forcing her to wince.
"Slow down," The calm voice reached her ear again. She turned to see the source of the voice and saw a doctor with a kind face, probably in her mid-thirties.
Liana forced a weak smile before the flashback struck again. Her breath grew uneven, and her chest felt tight. The doctor's hand squeezed hers, grounding her. "Calm down… your head injury isn't serious, but surely, it could have been worse."
Liana hummed softly, but her gaze drifted away. She was not afraid of her injury. It was the image of Ethilia's bleeding arm that made her heart ache more than any physical pain.
Her voice broke into a whisper as she tried to speak, "Where is Ethilia?"
The doctor looked momentarily confused, then offered a sympathetic smile. "Your guards found you in the restaurant parking lot. There was a kid in your car. No one else was around."
Liana's eyes widened, and for a moment, she felt her breathing almost stop. The beeping of the monitor seemed to quicken as her mind struggled to accept that they had taken Ethilia with them.
The doctor reached out and brushed away her tears. "Your parents are waiting outside with your guards. Do you want me to call them in?"
Liana hummed absentmindedly and closed her eyes. Her fingers clutched the bedsheet tighter, while her chest rose and fell unevenly. She tried hard to stay positive, but her mind betrayed her with the worst possible thoughts.
How is Ethilia? Where did they take her? What do they even want? Is she okay? Did they even treat her bleeding hand?
The sound of the door closing behind the doctor broke her thoughts. Liana opened her eyes and scanned the hospital room before forcing herself to sit upright.
Pain throbbed at her head with every movement, as if someone was hammering inside her skull. She touched the side of her head and felt a badge wrapped around it.
As she started searching for her phone when the door opened again, revealing her parents. She turned toward them, forcing a fragile smile. "Mom… Dad…
They came closer, and her mother wrapped her in a tight embrace, while her father placed a hand on her shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his brow knitted with worry. Her mother released her from the hug, waiting for her answer.
Liana swallowed the lump in her throat. "I want Ethilia, Dad… They took her with them... They..." her voice grew breathy, and the monitor showed how her pulse was rising drastically.
"They even shot her…" Her voice trembled as she finished her sentence. Her mother gasped softly, her eyes widening.
Her father squeezed Liana's shoulder tighter. A tear slid down Liana's cheek, quickly followed by more until she could not hold them back. Her sobs broke free. "She was bleeding, Dad… too much…"
Her father drew a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he watched his daughter break down. "Liana… calm down. I've sent my men, and the police are on it, okay?"
Liana let out another sob, lowering her head. "It's my fault I took her out… I shouldn't have come back into her life." Her mother sat beside her, gently rocking her back.
But then, Liana's sobs began to fade as the memory of that familiar voice giving the orders to take Ethilia surfaced. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand.
Her face went pale as she struggled to trust her own memory and her own ears.. Her hand went to her chest in an attempt to stop the ache.
"How can... she betray me like this? Was our friendship just an act?"
She closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. The ache in her chest hardened into anger. The anger of being betrayed by someone she trusted most."
Her father frowned, noticing the change in her expression. "Liana?"
Liana opened her eyes, red with rage and unshed tears. "You and Mom should leave now. I want to speak with my guards. Alone." Her voice shook, but her hands tightened into fists.
Her parents exchanged uncertain glances, but they knew better than to argue when Liana was like this. Her father patted her shoulder and walked out.
Her mother held her hand gently. "Liana… Alena is with Alex. She's been crying, asking for you."
Liana's expression softened, but inside, it felt like someone had stabbed her in the heart. She had wanted the night to be special… and it had turned into the biggest mistake.
She couldn't help but feel guilty for everything that happened there. Her mind kept replaying every smile, every teasing, every closeness with Ethilia. The chain of her thoughts broke when she heard Alena's voice, "Angel..."
She looked up to see Alena in Alex's arms, the little girl's face red from crying, her eyes swollen. Liana opened her arms. "Come, cutie."
Alex placed Alena gently on Liana's lap. The girl buried her face against her chest and clung tightly, sobbing. "Angel, where is mommy? I'm missing her. She never goes out without telling me."
Liana opened her mouth to answer, but no words came. She bit her lip, her chest tightening painfully as she held the child close.
It was getting hard for her to breathe, each of Alena's sobs cutting through her chest. And the fact that Ethilia had been taken because of her made it worse.
She kissed Alena's head softly and pulled back to look at her. "Cutie..." she said gently.
Alena blinked through her tears, her puffy cheeks shining. Liana's fingers traced her soft face, wiping away her tears while she fought to control her own.
"Your mommy is totally fine. Do you trust your angel?" Liana asked softly, though there was a slight break in her voice.
Alena nodded innocently, and Liana forced a small smile. "Good. Then you'll stay in my house for a while. I'll get your mommy to you."
A tiny smile spread across Alena's face, and she extended her hand, "Promise?"
Liana looked at the small hand and took it in both of hers. "Promise… I'll do anything to bring our mommy back," she whispered.
Alena hugged her tightly, but deep inside, Liana wasn't just making a promise to Alena. She was promising herself, too.
"Nothing will happen to her. I promise, Alena. Whoever is making you cry and whoever has taken Ethilia… I will make them pay. They will regret the day they were born. Everyone will see what happens when someone messes with me… Not the Idol, but also the Celeste heir."
Liana thought to herself and patted Alena's back. "Now, cutie, Rio uncle will take you to that beautiful old lady outside, okay? She is my mom."
Alena nodded, trusting her completely. Rio stepped forward and took Alena from Liana's arms. Liana waved at her softly as Rio exited the room.
The moment the door closed, Liana's expression hardened. Her jaw clenched, her eyes burning red. She fixed her gaze on Alex. "Where is Char?"
Alex and Mark exchanged uneasy glances and stepped back. They had never seen Liana like this before.
Liana narrowed her eyes, her nails digging into her palm as she snapped, "I asked where Char is."
Alex swallowed hard. His voice shook. "She's… she's gotten a case and went out of town for her investigation."
"Investigation, my foot… She is the boss of the attackers who took Ethilia!" Liana's voice rang out sharp and cold, making both men flinch.
Mark's eyes widened in shock, as if he could not believe he was seeing the polite idol shouting like this. But from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a small smirk playing on Alex's lips.