I clung to Dior’s promise like a lifeline.
He would make it out of there. He had to.
I didn’t want to leave him behind, but I knew I had no choice. So I forced myself to walk away, trusting his words, believing that somehow—against all odds—he would survive.
I drove through the empty streets, gripping the wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white. The night was eerily quiet, the darkness pressing in around me.
But the moment I turned the corner onto our street, dread coiled in my stomach like a snake.
The gate was wide open.
The guards—both of them—were lying motionless on the ground.
Cold fear spiked through my veins.
I slammed on the brakes and ran inside, my breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps.
"Seung! Lizzy!" I called out, my voice echoing through the house.
Silence.
My chest tightened as I sprinted up the stairs, throwing open doors, searching desperately.
They were gone.
Everything inside me shattered.
I dropped to my knees in the middle of the chaos, my screams tearing through the air.
Not again.
I had promised to protect them. I had sworn I wouldn’t let anything happen to them.
And now… they were gone.
Tears blurred my vision, my mind spinning with a million thoughts. Who took them? Where were they? Were they safe?
I was so lost in my panic that I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me.
Not until I felt the cold metal press against the back of my head.
I froze.
Slowly, I turned my head, my heart hammering against my ribs.
And there she was.
Stephanie.
Her smirk was cold, her eyes glinting with amusement.
"Miss me?"
I didn’t get the chance to respond.
She swung the gun, striking the side of my head. Pain exploded in my skull, and the world went black.
When I woke up, everything was dark.
A single dim light flickered overhead, barely illuminating the concrete walls around me.
My head throbbed, and when I tried to move, I realized my wrists were tied behind my back.
Stephanie was standing in front of me, arms crossed, watching me like a predator studying its prey.
She sighed dramatically. "You really are stubborn, aren’t you?"
I swallowed hard, my throat dry and raw. "Where are the kids?"
Her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Oh, now you care?"
"Where. Are. They?" I ground out, my voice shaking with rage.
Stephanie chuckled. "Relax. Lizzy’s not even your kid."
Her words struck a nerve, but I didn’t let her see it. I kept my glare steady, refusing to let her rattle me.
But then something changed in her expression.
She tilted her head. "Wait… you actually think I took them? So dumb! That is the reason why I kidnapped you."
A cold chill ran down my spine.
"What do you mean?" I demanded.
Stephanie rolled her eyes. "I had my men ready to grab them, but when we got to your house, all my guys were dead."
I blinked. "What?"
"Someone got to them before I did," she said, her tone laced with frustration.
For the first time since I woke up, something inside me flickered—hope.
If it wasn’t Stephanie… then who?
And were the kids safe?
Days passed.
Maybe weeks.
I lost track of time in that dark, hellish prison.
Stephanie made sure I suffered.
She starved me, taunted me, let her men shove me around. They never killed me—no, that would be too easy.
She wanted me broken.
But I refused to give her the satisfaction.
Every bruise, every cut, every cruel word only fueled the fire inside me.
I wasn’t going to die in this place.
I was going to survive.
For Dior.
For Lizzy and Seung.
For revenge.
And then, one night, everything changed.
It started with the sound of tires screeching outside.
Then came the shouting.
Gunfire.
Panic erupted in the warehouse as men scrambled for their weapons.
Stephanie cursed under her breath. "What the hell—?"
Before she could finish, the door burst open.
Cops.
A full-blown raid.
Chaos exploded around us.
Stephanie bolted, vanishing into the shadows before anyone could catch her.
I barely registered anything until strong hands grabbed my shoulders.
"Ma’am, are you hurt?"
A police officer.
I let out a shaky breath, my body slumping in exhaustion.
I was safe.
They took me straight to the police station.
I was too weak to sit up, too exhausted to process everything.
But then I saw her.
The nanny.
Except… she wasn’t just a nanny.
She was wearing a uniform now, her posture straight and confident.
She smiled at me. "Took you long enough to figure it out."
I stared, my brain struggling to catch up. "Who…?"
"Gretta Royce," she introduced herself. "Undercover investigator."
My heart nearly stopped.
"Wait… so you—?"
"I was assigned to watch you," she admitted. "But then things changed. The night you left to see Dior, a group of armed men stormed your house."
My stomach twisted. "And the kids—?"
She smiled. "Safe."
Relief crashed over me like a tidal wave.
I let out a shaky breath, tears prickling my eyes. Without thinking, I reached out and hugged her. "Thank you."
She hesitated for a moment before patting my back awkwardly. "Yeah, yeah. Don’t get all emotional on me."
I pulled back, laughing weakly.
Then I frowned. "But where are they? I need to see them."
Gretta’s expression turned serious.
"Don’t worry," she said. "They're in a safe place. For now."
I froze.
"For now?"
She exhaled, studying me carefully. "This isn't over, Sarah. Those kids are still in danger. Stephanie and her people won’t stop hunting them."
A cold chill ran down my spine.
"Which is why," Gretta continued, "we need your help."
I swallowed. "Help with what?"
She leaned in slightly, her voice dropping lower.
"To expose Mrs. Faulino. You are once close with her, right?"
My breath caught. Everything inside me screamed to say yes. But I knew—this mission wouldn’t just put me in danger. It would put the kids at risk too. Could I really do this? Could I really take them down once and for all?
“W-What? Why?" I asked with a shaking voice.
I don't understand. Is it about Dior's wife?
I just followed my gaze on her as she opened the drawer in front of her and then my eyes widened as she pulled stack of papers. A documentaries of Stephanie Faulino's crime I didn't know she had commited.
DAMN HER!
I stared on the papers, didn't have the courage to browse through it one by one.
“Your ex-best friend is allegedly a suspect for human trafficking. Our intel is stating that he is also in charge of transactions for illegal weapons..."
My breath hitched. “D-Damn!" I whispered to myself.
“Oh, you didn't know that? According to our intel group, your father, Mr. Lin is part of it. Have a look on the last page of those papers, please."
