A light rain fell on the morning as Ethan arrived at the Ardent office.
The city sky was covered in gray clouds, making the atmosphere feel heavier than usual. But what was truly weighing on his mind was not the weather.
It was one name.
Dr. Victor Hale.
Ethan opened the door to his workspace and immediately saw Daniel already waiting inside. His laptop was open with several maps and reports on the screen.
"Did you find something?" Ethan asked without preamble.
Daniel nodded slightly.
"A little."
He turned the laptop screen toward Ethan.
There, a city map was displayed with several points marked in red.
"These are all the places Victor Hale visited in the last six months."
Ethan stepped closer.
"Is there anything suspicious?"
Daniel pointed to one spot on the outskirts of the city.
"This house."
"Why?"
"He bought this property two months ago using a shell company."
Ethan frowned.
"He was hiding his ownership?"
"Yes."
Daniel clicked on another file.
"And since three days ago, there has been no digital activity from the house."
Ethan stared at the map for a few seconds.
"Which means he's in hiding… or someone is hiding him."
Daniel did not reply.
But his expression said enough.
Ethan grabbed his jacket.
"Let's go there."
The house was located in a suburban area far from the city's hustle and bustle.
The streets were quiet.
Tall trees stood on both sides of the road like silent sentinels.
Ethan's car stopped about fifty meters from the house.
The building was simple.
A single-story house with an iron fence and a small yard.
No lights were on.
No signs of life.
Daniel surveyed the surroundings.
"Looks empty."
Ethan opened the car door.
"That's exactly what worries me."
They walked toward the house carefully.
The front gate was unlocked.
The front door was only half-closed.
Ethan exchanged glances with Daniel before gently pushing the door open.
The door swung open with a soft creak.
The room inside was dark.
A faint smell of medicine and medical alcohol hung in the air.
Daniel turned on the light.
The living room looked messy.
Several research books were scattered across the table.
A laptop was open but powered off.
Ethan walked straight to the desk.
He looked at several research documents.
Cell diagrams.
Experiment notes.
All related to one thing.
Regenerative therapy.
His mother Sophia's technology.
"He was still working on this research," Ethan muttered.
Daniel checked another room.
"But he left in a hurry."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Why do you think that?"
Daniel pointed to the kitchen.
There, a half-full cup of coffee and untouched bread sat on the counter.
"It looks like someone had to leave suddenly."
Ethan felt something was wrong.
He walked toward the small study at the back of the house.
There, a whiteboard was covered in scientific formulas.
And in the middle of the board, one sentence was written in large letters.
"They will not stop."
Ethan stared at the words for a few seconds.
"He was scared."
Daniel nodded.
"The question is… scared of who?"
Before Ethan could answer, the sound of a car engine was heard outside the house.
They immediately exchanged glances.
Daniel turned off the light.
They moved carefully toward the window.
A black car stopped in front of the house.
The car door opened.
An elderly man got out with steady steps.
Ethan recognized him immediately.
Leonard Graves.
Daniel whispered softly.
"He's here too."
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
"No coincidence."
Leonard walked toward the front door without hesitation.
As if he already knew the place.
Ethan signaled to Daniel to stay quiet.
The front door opened.
Leonard's leather shoes echoed on the wooden floor.
He stopped in the living room.
Looking at the messy room.
Then he let out a soft sigh.
"Victor…"
His voice was calm.
"It seems you left sooner than I expected."
Ethan and Daniel exchanged glances from behind the room door.
Leonard walked slowly toward the whiteboard in the study.
He read the words there.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"Always dramatic."
Ethan decided to emerge from hiding.
He stepped into the living room.
"Looks like we're looking for the same person."
Leonard did not look surprised at all.
He turned slowly.
"Ah."
His gaze fell on Ethan.
"Mr. Sterling."
Daniel came out too.
"The house is empty."
Leonard nodded slightly.
"Yes."
He looked at the whiteboard again.
"Victor was always too emotional."
Ethan crossed his arms.
"Did you know he would disappear?"
Leonard looked at him.
"No."
He walked closer to the table.
"But I knew he wouldn't stay quiet after you found those archives."
Ethan stared sharply at him.
"So you were watching us."
Leonard smiled faintly.
"You were moving loudly enough to draw attention."
Daniel spoke coldly,
"Did you kidnap Victor Hale?"
Leonard laughed softly.
"If I had kidnapped him…"
He gestured to the empty room.
"…this place wouldn't look like this."
Ethan thought about his words.
Leonard continued,
"Victor is a smart man."
He looked at the writing on the whiteboard again.
"But also a coward."
Sophia suddenly came to Ethan's mind.
If Victor was indeed an important witness
then he was the key to unlocking all the secrets of the past.
"He knows what happened twenty years ago," Ethan said.
Leonard nodded.
"Yes."
"And he was scared."
Leonard looked at Ethan.
"Not without reason."
Daniel asked,
"Scared of who?"
Leonard was silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke softly,
"Of the same person you're chasing."
Ethan furrowed his brow.
"You?"
Leonard smiled slightly.
"No."
He walked toward the exit.
"If I were the most dangerous person in this story…"
He paused for a moment.
"…you would be dead by now."
Silence fell over the room.
Leonard opened the door.
But before leaving, he turned around one more time.
"Find Victor Hale."
His gaze was serious for the first time.
"Because if someone else finds him first…"
He stopped.
"…you will never know what really happened the night your mother Sophia died."
Leonard left the house.
The sound of his car slowly faded away on the quiet street.
Daniel let out a breath.
"He always shows up… then leaves just like that."
Ethan looked at the whiteboard again.
The words "They will not stop" felt heavier now.
Sophia.
His mother.
Marcus.
Helix.
And now Victor Hale.
All the pieces were getting closer to one big truth.
Ethan spoke softly,
"We have to find Victor before anyone else."
Daniel nodded.
"Because he might be the only one who knows everything."
Outside the house, the rain began to fall again.
And somewhere out of their sight.
another car was moving along the dark road.
In the back seat sat a pale-faced man.
His hands and feet were bound.
His eyes were full of fear.
Dr. Victor Hale.
And the man sitting next to him only said one cold sentence.
"Mr. Sterling wants to talk to you."