Naira was still standing in the middle of the road.
The car carrying Arsen had disappeared around the bend.
But Arsen's voice continued echoing in her mind.
“‘Naira, don’t trust anyone!’”
Her hands trembled.
The last message was still displayed on her phone.
“Save Arsen... or find your father.”
Naira closed her eyes.
She had lived without her father for fifteen years.
Now someone was saying that her father was still alive.
At the same time, Arsen had been kidnapped right in front of her eyes.
Naira took a deep breath.
“I’m not going to choose.”
She wiped away her tears.
“I’m going to save both of you.”
Naira returned to the old house.
Darren was still there.
The moment he saw Naira alone, his expression changed.
“Where’s Arsen?”
“They took him.”
Darren immediately stood up.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Naira showed him the message on her phone.
Darren read it.
His expression grew even more serious.
“This isn’t the first time.”
Naira stared at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Fifteen years ago, your father received a message like this too.”
Naira fell silent.
“Why are you only telling me now?”
Darren sighed.
“Because I was afraid you’d try to find out.”
“I’m not afraid anymore.”
Naira glared at him.
“Where’s my father?”
Darren said nothing.
Naira stepped closer.
“You know, don’t you?”
“I know where he is.”
“Take me there.”
“No.”
“If you won’t...”
Naira picked up the old photograph from the table.
“...I’ll go by myself.”
Darren stared at her.
“You have no idea what you’re up against.”
“I don’t care.”
“Naira!”
“I’ve already lost fifteen years!”
Naira’s tears began falling again.
“I lost my father. I lost Arsen. I lost my memories of my childhood.”
She gripped the photograph tightly.
“I don’t want to lose anyone else.”
Darren fell silent.
At last, he sighed.
“All right.”
He picked up the car keys.
“But there’s something you need to know.”
“What?”
“Where your father is...”
Darren looked at Naira.
“...is where Arsen was taken.”
Meanwhile...
Arsen opened his eyes.
The room was dark.
His hands were tied to a chair.
A man stood in front of him.
The man placed a glass of water on the table.
“You must be thirsty.”
Arsen didn’t answer.
“Still as stubborn as ever.”
Arsen looked at him.
“I don’t know you.”
The man smiled.
“Of course you don’t.”
He stepped closer.
“Because you were still too young back then.”
Arsen tensed.
“Who are you?”
The man turned on the light.
Arsen saw his face.
For a few seconds...
he was unable to speak.
“That’s impossible.”
The man smiled.
“Why?”
“You...”
Arsen stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re dead.”
The man laughed.
“So is Naira’s father.”
Arsen clenched his fists.
“Where is he?”
“Who?”
“Naira’s father.”
The man walked to the corner of the room.
Then he opened a door.
Behind it...
a frail old man sat with his hands tied.
Arsen recognized him immediately.
Naira’s father.
Arsen struggled to his feet.
“Sir...”
The old man raised his head.
Their eyes met.
Then Naira’s father said softly,
“Arsen...”
His voice was filled with fear.
“Don’t let Naira come here.”
Arsen fell silent.
“Why?”
Naira’s father looked at the man standing behind him.
“Because the person we’ve been afraid of all this time...”
He drew a breath.
“...isn’t Darren.”
Arsen froze.
“Then who is it?”
Naira’s father closed his eyes.
“The real person behind it all...”
He looked at Arsen.
“...is the person closest to Naira.”
Outside the building...
Darren’s car came to a stop.
Naira got out.
She stared at the old building in front of her.
“Here?”
Darren nodded.
“Yes.”
Naira clutched the photograph of Arsen.
They went inside slowly.
The corridor was dark.
There wasn’t a sound.
Then she heard voices coming from one of the rooms.
Naira stopped.
She recognized the voice.
Arsen.
Naira approached the door.
But the next voice brought her to a halt.
Her father’s voice.
“‘Don’t let Naira come here.’”
Naira covered her mouth.
Tears fell from her eyes.
Her father really was still alive.
Then she heard the next sentence.
“‘The real person behind it all is the person closest to Naira.’”
Naira looked at Darren.
He looked pale.
“What does that mean?”
Darren didn’t answer.
Naira slowly turned her gaze toward the door.
Then a voice came from inside.
“‘She’s here.’”
The door slowly opened.
Someone stood behind it.
And when Naira saw that person’s face...
the world seemed to stop.
Because the person she had trusted most all this time...
turned out to be the person who had hidden the most truth from her.
TO BE CONTINUED...