Liana sat on the bed, her eyes fixed on the CCTV footage of the road outside the parking lot. But the clip she desperately wanted to see wasn't there. Someone had already erased it with alarming expertise.
She let out a frustrated sigh, leaning back against the pillow. Rio sat nearby, working tirelessly to recover the footage with his IT skills, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came back.
Alena glanced at Mark as he entered with a tray of food and some medication. "Don't even think I'll eat that when it's been seven hours and we've got no lead." Her tone was sharp, cutting through the tense air.
Mark gulped nervously and looked toward Alex, who was still on the phone with the police. Alex hung up, walked over, and stood beside him. "Boss, you need to eat. Your health..."
"Shut up!" Liana snapped, her voice echoing in the room. "None of you are worthy of being guards. What were you even doing? You were following me, weren't you?"
The trio froze, their gazes dropping to the floor. They had been outside the parking lot, yet they still failed to prevent the disaster.
Forcing herself to her feet, Liana walked straight to Alex. Her face twisted with disappointment. "I wonder why I even kept you when you couldn't even protect me." Her voice dripped with venom in anger.
Alex clenched his jaw, fists tightening at his sides as he kept his gaze lowered. Rio and Mark exchanged uneasy looks, both swallowing hard.
Alex opened his mouth to speak, but Liana lifted her palm sharply, silencing him. "Not a word." She stepped closer, her voice dropping into a low growl. "Go and find Ethilia. And if you can't, don't show me your face ever again."
With that, she turned away, crossing her arms as her eyes narrowed at Rio. "Stop wasting time. We won't get the footage back. Search for Char. I want that betrayer in front of me."
Her temper was unraveling, and she knew it. But fear burned inside her chest with every passing minute. The thought of losing Ethilia made her heart pound in chaos. Alex spun on his heel and stormed out of the cabin. Mark stood frozen, unsure of what to do.
Liana's gaze locked on him. "Get the car. We're going to the police station." Her head still throbbed painfully, but she refused to lie down and receive treatment when Ethilia was out there in danger.
Mark hesitated, gathering his courage before speaking softly, "Ma'am, forgive me, but..."
Her glare cut him off instantly. Her bloodshot eyes and clenched jaw left no room for argument. Mark instinctively stepped back as she advanced a step forward. "Get. The. Car. I can't sit here and just watch them wasting their time."
Rio came forward, trying to reason with her. "Ma'am, they're trying. The police are..."
Liana turned to Rio, "They've been trying for seven hours and fifteen minutes!" Liana roared, fists trembling at her sides.
Rio lowered his gaze, retreating a step. He knew there was no stopping her when her expression screamed pure violence.
Without another word, Liana walked over to the bag her mother had left behind. She pulled out a shirt and jeans, then disappeared into the bathroom to change.
Mark leaned toward Rio and whispered, "Did you see how her hands were shaking in rage?" Rio nodded and poured some water for himself as Mark continued, "I've never seen her this angry."
Rio nodded, pouring himself a glass of water. "I've never seen her this furious. And remember, she's even using her father's influence to search for Ethilia. She's never accepted a single penny from her parents since she started training as an idol," his voice low.
Before Mark could respond, the bathroom door swung open. Liana stepped out in a fresh bandage still on her head and dressed in a blue shirt and jeans.
She walked over, snatched up the phone from the table, but then paused a moment as she remembered how easily her phone could be tracked.
Without thinking twice, she then threw it across the room. The crash echoed as the phone shattered against the wall. Mark and Rio gasped, but neither dared to say a word.
Liana's sharp gaze cut to them. "Keep your phones here. Not a single electronic device goes with us." Her voice was cold, leaving no room for argument. She turned and strode out of the hospital room.
Rio and Mark scrambled, pulling off their smartwatches and tossing their phones onto the table before hurrying after her.
At the reception desk, Liana leaned in to speak quietly with the receptionist. With her permission, she made a call. Rio and Mark stood off to the side, exchanging uncertain looks. They had no idea what Liana was planning, but she clearly did.
A few minutes later, she booked a cab and waited outside until it arrived. As soon as the car stopped, she approached the driver and, with a few firm words and a sharp gaze, somehow convinced him to let her take the wheel.
Rio hesitated, shooting Mark a worried glance before whispering, "Ma'am, weren't we heading to the police station?"
Liana shook her head, eyes fixed ahead. "No… home. I need to check on Alena first. Then… we'll decide our next move."
Rio and Mark slid into the backseat while the driver stepped away, counting the thick wad of cash Liana had shoved into his hands. Without hesitation, Liana climbed into the driver's seat and slammed her foot on the accelerator, the car roaring to life as it sped down the road.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, trembling with a mix of fear and fury. Her legs weren't steady either, and it felt like every muscle in her body was refusing to move.
Char… could she really betray me? The thought circled in her mind like a curse. Questions piled up inside her head.
"If Char is really their leader, then why?" she thought, eyes glued to the road. "Why would she give me clues? Why would she even destroy that sound recorder from my room? Why point me toward leads if she's the one pulling the strings?"
Her grip tightened until her knuckles turned white. She took a sharp turn, the tires screeching, and almost lost control. Her thoughts drifted back to all the happy times she had spent with Char.
The promises Char made to her, the moments she stood up for her when no one else was there.
"No one can harm Liana when I'm by her side."
"Never think you're alone. You have me. No matter what happens, I'll be there."
"Every Char needs a Liana. Life is boring without your miserable whining."
Her chest tightened as the memories overlapped with the doubt eating her alive. She slammed on the brakes suddenly, the car jerking to a violent stop. Rio and Mark were thrown forward, almost hitting the seats in front of them.
Without a word, Liana shoved open the door and stormed into her house. Her mother rushed toward her, worry etched all over her face. "Liana..."
But before she could speak, Liana's voice came out softer than she expected, almost breaking. "Where's Alena?"
Her mother placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "She cried all night… now she's asleep."
Liana closed her eyes briefly and nodded, her chest rising and falling unevenly. When she opened them again, her gaze shifted back to Rio and Mark, who stood quietly behind her.
"Study," she ordered.
They nodded at once, following her obediently to the study room. Liana sank into the chair, leaning forward, elbows resting on the desk. Her eyes were sharp as knives as she studied the two men standing before her.
"I'm certain it's someone from my guards," she said coldly. "So tell me...who is it?"
Rio and Mark's eyes widened. They exchanged uneasy glances, both shifting uncomfortably under her stare. Rio stepped forward first. "It's not us, Ma'am. I swear."
Liana clenched her jaw. His eyes showed no fear, only honesty. She knew Rio wasn't lying… yet something told her it was someone from security. Because even if Char was behind everything, someone on the inside had to be helping her.
Mark hesitated, then finally stepped forward. "Ma'am… you didn't ask Alex."
Liana shook her head firmly. "It's not him. He would never do that. I trust him." She leaned back in the chair, her voice colder now. "I don't have time to waste. I'll give whatever it takes, just tell me...who is helping them?"
Mark lowered his eyes. For a long moment, silence stretched between them. Then, in a low whisper, he said, "Forgive me, Ma'am… but the knife that cuts the deepest… always comes from the hand we trust the most."
The words hit Liana harder than she expected, making her chest ache as if her heart was being squeezed. She still couldn't bring herself to believe Char was behind all this. Her gut feeling refused to accept that Char could ever hurt her.
And now Mark was saying Alex might be helping Char? The two people she trusted most aside from her parents were now under suspicion. It was eating her alive from the inside.