Evelyn walked out of the hospital in a daze, the sting of the slap still burning on her face.
She hadn't gone far when two rough hands suddenly clamped over her mouth and nose from behind.
When she came to, she was tied to a chair.
Not far away, Annelise was bound as well, her face ashen.
Footsteps approached from the distance.
Nathan rushed in, his suit disheveled. "Annelise! Evelyn!"
Behind him, a man in a silver mask stepped out slowly, idly twirling a sharp knife in his hand. "Mr. Langford, long time no see."
Nathan clenched his fists. "Who are you? Name your price. Just let them go!"
The masked man let out a low chuckle and strolled over behind Annelise.
"Money? I'm not interested." He paused. "Today, only one of them walks out alive. Nathan, your wife… or your sister-in-law. Pick one."
The air froze.
"Don't you dare!" Nathan's eyes burned with fury. "Let them go now while you still can. Once I find out who you are, I won't let you off."
The masked man sneered and pressed the blade against Annelise's throat.
Annelise screamed, her voice breaking. "Nathan! Save me!"
"I'll ask one last time," the masked man said, his voice turning cold. "Who do you choose?"
Nathan's fists tightened as his gaze shifted between Evelyn and Annelise.
In the end, he closed his eyes. "I choose… Annelise."
Three simple words, yet they landed like a crushing weight on Evelyn's chest.
She had expected it, yet it still hurt so much she could barely breathe.
The masked man let out a scoff and shoved Annelise forward.
Nathan pulled her into his arms, soothing her over and over. "It's okay, Annelise. You're safe. I'm here."
He never looked at Evelyn once.
The masked man raised a remote and pressed it, pointing straight at Evelyn.
"No!" Nathan turned back in alarm at the sound.
A red light blinked on. The countdown began.
Seeing the blood on Annelise, Nathan gritted his teeth and carried her toward the exit.
Evelyn closed her eyes, a tear slipping down silently.
But the explosion never came.
A warm, steady hand caught her wrist and pulled her toward the back exit.
Only when they reached safety did he stop and remove the mask.
It revealed a face she didn't recognize, calm and gentle.
Evelyn struggled to catch her breath, her body going weak. "You…"
The man looked at her seriously. "What you said at the press conference… none of it was true, was it?"
Evelyn froze, her pupils shrinking. "How do you know…"
"I found your application for the remote teaching program." His voice was quiet. "And your eyes. I've seen that look too many times."
In that moment, Evelyn finally broke.
In front of a complete stranger, every layer of her composure collapsed.
Tears fell uncontrollably, one after another.
He reached out and gently wiped the tears from her face, his touch almost impossibly gentle.
"Don't cry." He took a plane ticket from his pocket and held it out to her.
The destination was exactly where she had planned to go.
"I bought your ticket. Come on. Leave this place. Go where you really want to be."
