The pounding on the front door of the stilt house echoed more and more relentlessly, cleaving the silence of the old neighborhood. Alea stood frozen in the middle of the living room, clutching the photograph of the two babies she had just found. The realization that Celine wasn't the Adinata family's biological daughter either struck her soul again and again.
If Celine and I were both victims of the switch... then who was the Adinata family's real biological daughter?
"Alea, hurry! We don't have any more time!" Ratih whispered frantically as she pulled Alea toward the back door. She explained that the people outside were hired operatives sent to bury the secret of the switch forever.
When shouts and heavy blows rang out against the front door, Ratih shoved Alea into the narrow alley. "Go to the main road! Run, and don't ever look back!" her aunt ordered in resignation.
Alea ran with all her strength just as torrential rain poured over the earth. Soaked to the bone, she managed to flag down a taxi on the main road and immediately headed for the intercity bus terminal. Inside the vehicle, Alea stared blankly at the photographs of Baby A and Baby B. Her thoughts kept circling back to the whereabouts of the other baby.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated with a message from an unknown number:
You found the photographs of the two babies.
With trembling fingers, Alea replied, asking who the sender was. The sender claimed to be a witness to the July 12 Tragedy at Harapan Bunda Hospital. When Alea asked outright whether Celine had been switched too, the reply appeared:
Yes. Celine isn't the Adinata family's biological daughter either.
Alea's tears streamed down her face. Celine, whom she had always believed had everything, turned out to be just another victim in this staged drama. But the next message made her chest tighten even more:
But Celine wasn't the only baby switched that night. There was a third baby.
At the same time, tension peaked at the Adinata family's luxury mansion. Adrian stood in his study, speaking on the phone with a deeply anxious expression.
"She's been gone since this morning," Adrian said firmly. "We're too late to stop her. But whatever happens, don't let Celine find out about the third baby!"
Unbeknownst to him, Celine stood frozen behind the door and heard the entire conversation. Her face wet with tears, she stepped inside and let her emotions spill over.
"Dad..." Celine whispered, trembling. "Alea left to look for Rendra? And what did you mean about the third baby?! Answer me, Dad! Am I not your biological daughter and Mom's either?!"
Marissa, hearing the commotion, came in too and tried to calm her daughter. But Celine's hysterical sobs couldn't be stopped. "If Alea isn't your daughter... and I'm not your daughter either... then who is the biological child you've been hiding all this time?!"
The silence and helpless sobs from both her parents became the most painful answer, confirming Celine's worst fears.
Meanwhile, the taxi carrying Alea arrived at the bustling terminal plaza. As she took shelter in a corner of the bus bay, a man in a black leather jacket approached her. Alea instinctively backed away, immediately on guard.
"Easy, Alea. My name is Dimas," the man said soothingly. "I was sent here directly by Rendra Pratama."
Alea eyed him suspiciously and asked where her biological father was. Dimas explained that Rendra was being hunted by the Adinata family. But before they could meet, Dimas emphasized one crucial fact.
Dimas looked at the photograph in Alea's hand and whispered sharply, "The third baby in that switching scandal is still alive today. They've grown up somewhere very close to you all this time... someone who's always been around you, without you ever realizing it."
A chill swept through Alea's body. Before she could ask for the person's name, a black sedan suddenly pulled sharply to a stop beside them.
Dimas immediately grabbed Alea's arm. "They've tracked us down! Run, now!"
Beneath the cover of the night drizzle, Alea was forced to run through the darkness once again. One truth now stood starkly before her: Three lives had been tragically switched, and one of them had been right beside her all along, just beyond the circle of her life.