It was twenty past eleven on a Tuesday night when the police van stopped in front of the NYC police station, the sound of an argument inside the vehicle shattering the quiet of the night.

"We'll definitely find a way to save Olivia. Believe me, please try to calm down, "Mr. Collins said to the trespasser, his tone filled with optimism in an attempt to comfort her and offer a glimmer of hope to her anxious heart. Yet deep down, he knew his efforts would be short-lived against a mother’s overwhelming concern for her child.

"We couldn't find any way to save my daughter on the way here, so tell me, how am I supposed to calm my mind and stop thinking about the danger my child might face?" Evelyn asked in a serious voice, though the helplessness in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Let’s talk inside," Mr. Collins suggested, trying to change the topic.

In response, Evelyn rolled her eyes in irritation and let out a deep sigh of frustration. The driver unlocked the police van's back door, and they, along with the female police officers, got out of the van.

Evelyn noticed her car parked in the far right corner of the police station's courtyard as she entered the building. At that moment, Mr. Collins's cell phone began to vibrate, so he stopped walking with her to take the call.

***

After entering, one of the female police officers unlocked the handcuffs from the trespasser's wrists and opened an empty holding cell, located far from the other cells to ensure their conversation couldn't be overheard. Without saying a word, Evelyn entered the holding cell, and the officer locked the door behind her.

She began to pace back and forth inside the holding cell, overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions—indescribable worry for her daughter's safety, anxiety about her husband's health, confusion, and fear of the impending danger due to the disappearance of Vinson's body.

She was panting as she walked, rubbing her fists together in nervousness. Her lips trembled as she muttered to herself, clearly trying to piece together the events in the hope of finding a clue behind the terrible incidents. Meanwhile, the female officer was observing her every move without blinking.

After about ten minutes of thinking, Evelyn stopped walking and, with a swift motion, turned her gaze toward the female officer. In a polite yet nervous voice, she asked, "May I use my cell phone here?"

"Of course, you can. We’ve already disabled the CCTV camera in this holding cell," she replied with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much!" Evelyn said gratefully. Without wasting a second, she pulled out her cell phone from her jeans pocket. After unlocking it, she saw a message from Luna displayed as a notification on the screen. She opened the message and read it while standing in the middle of the holding cell.

"Mom, we successfully admitted Daddy to Victoria Heaven Hospital, and he is now safe and under observation by the best doctor. The doctor said there was no negative impact on his health during the journey. Ryan and I will stay by Daddy's side at all times, so you don't have to worry about him. I hope you also succeed in your attempt to get into Snyder Villa and find a clue that could help Sis Oli. I'll be eagerly waiting for you and Sis Oli. Love you, Mom, and take care of yourself and my sister too."

After reading the message, a faint smile appeared on Evelyn's pale face, thinking that at least she had succeeded in saving her husband's life—like a faint sunlight emerging in the sky after a heavy rain.

But as she recalled the scene with the garden storage bench, all hope of saving her daughter shattered like a dry leaf. In an instant, a deep, dark cloud of sadness enveloped her face, heart, and mind. Dangerous thoughts about her daughter's safety spun in her head like a top.

She shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind, murmuring to herself as she looked at the floor, "No, you can't be weak, Eve. You have to save your daughter. Think, think—you'll definitely find a way to protect her."

At that moment, Mr. Collins approached and stood in front of the locked cell. "Mrs. Taylor," he said, trying to get her attention.

Evelyn looked up to meet his gaze, and a whisper escaped her lips in response. "Mr. Collins."

She then ran toward him and grasped the bars with her hands. With hope in her attitude, facial expression, voice, and heart, she asked, "Did you find a way?"

In response, Mr. Collins shook his head to indicate no, and the ray of hope on Evelyn's face instantly transformed into sadness, much like an eclipse of the Moon.

"Mrs. Taylor, I have some bad news for you," he said with a gloomy expression and a hesitant voice. Upon hearing this, Evelyn's heart pounded loudly with the fear of receiving more unwanted updates about her loved ones.

"How is my daughter?" she asked desperately, her breath shaky. Worry was evident on her face, and her eyes sparkled like diamonds in the sky, already brimming with tears.

Seeing her vulnerable state and wanting to reduce her anxiety and worries, Mr. Collins immediately replied, "She is completely fine. Nora is with her, so you don't have to worry about her."

A deep sigh of relief escaped her lips upon hearing about her child's safety. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart and release some of the pain through tears.

After a couple of minutes, she opened her eyes and wiped her cheeks with her hands. She then looked directly into his eyes and asked with a positive attitude, "Tell me what you want to say. As long as my daughter is safe, I'm not afraid of anything." She spoke the last sentence with great confidence, knowing her husband had already reached a safe zone. Additionally, she guessed that the higher authorities might impose some kind of punishment on her for breaking the rules by illegally trespassing into Snyder Villa.

After hearing her question, Mr. Collins began sucking his teeth with his tongue, fixing his gaze on the trespasser with a shocked expression.

Evelyn shook her head in frustration and said to him in a casual tone, "Mr. Collins, what did your so-called higher authority decide as the punishment for me? I'm ready to face it."

"It's not what you're thinking," Mr. Collins said, his stern expression causing her to furrow her brows in confusion.

"Then what is it?" she asked, feeling clueless.

"About half an hour ago, Mr. Drake Wilson was admitted to the hospital in critical condition." He delivered the news with a heavy heart, and unexpectedly, Evelyn's confidence vanished from her face, replaced by a shadow of guilt.

A tear fell from her right eye as she spoke in a whisper, "Mr. Collins, believe me, I didn’t want DK to hurt himself. I was helpless at that moment. I had no choice but to reveal the bitter truth of his life to him. I just wanted to stop him from doing more wrong things in the name of revenge, but I swear, I never thought he would try to take his life right after learning the truth." She paused to wipe her cheeks as tears began to stream down both sides of her face.

"Mrs. Taylor, if Mr. Wilson had tried to commit suicide, I wouldn’t be so worried right now. The actual incident is that someone tried to kill him by hitting him on the head with a hard flower vase while he was in his bedroom, regretting his deeds right after you left his house. The most shocking part is that the culprit entered his bedroom through the balcony, bypassing all the security of the Love-Nest." Mr. Collins said with a serious expression.

Upon hearing the news, Evelyn stood frozen like a statue, her eyes widening in shock.

***

At the same time, in Abyss Hill Prison, Olivia was sleeping on her back on the right side of the cell, on the mattress provided by the prison authorities. Her hands were placed on her chest. The silence was so profound that the breathing of all the prisoners was clearly audible.

All of a sudden, two hands reached out toward the sleeping Olivia, holding a pillow and moving with quiet, measured steps.

In the blink of an eye, both hands pressed the pillow over Olivia's face, aiming to stifle her breath forever. Olivia struggled to push her hands and legs toward the assailant, trying to remove the pillow so she could breathe.

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