After reviewing everything on the monitor screen once again, Mr. Miller released a deep sigh of disappointment and looked at the floor. He had first seen those clips on his cell phone before coming to the hotel. Evelyn's partner, who operated the drones, had already sent the video clips to his phone. Evelyn never told her uncle about her trusted associates for their safety.

"I can't believe my best friend could stab me in the back," he stated in a low, sarcastic tone filled with several emotions: pain from the betrayal and hatred for himself for believing someone blindly.

After hearing his statement, Ron and DK exchanged sympathetic glances, and Evelyn placed her left hand on her uncle's right shoulder to silently comfort him.

"I remember when we were young; I was timid, and because of that, other students used to bully me by snatching my school stuff or tiffin box." he let out a bitter chuckle after recalling some memories and lifted his head to meet his juniors' eyes.

After licking his lips slowly, he spoke with a faint, melancholic demeanor: "But he was brave and saved me from those bullies several times. Then we became best friends, and on my birthday, he promised he would stay with me like a shadow so that no one would dare to touch a single hair on my head. However, I never imagined those promises would turn into a dark shadow instead of a bright one."

Then he turned his head to the right to look at his niece and said to her in a soft, grateful voice, "Thank you, Eve. Only because of your doubt was I able to get out of my delusion about my best friend. Otherwise, I'm afraid that my blind trust in him would have led to witnessing several innocent deaths from overdoses of drugs in the name of maintaining youth. Besides that, we would never have succeeded in revealing the names of the Flame Group's members."

Evelyn clasped her uncle's hands, her lips trembling and eyes full of tears, and said with a heartbroken expression, "Uncle, how can I sit quietly when my father was forced to take his own life because of the conspiracy of this group, whose members are monsters hiding behind human flesh?"

"I know, dear, but I must say, your sixth sense worked wonders. It has shown that I am growing old, and consequently, I should resign from my position and pass it on to you as a gift. Innocent people need an officer like you, capable of delivering justice without being swayed by close relationships, unlike an old, delusional officer," Mr. Miller stated dramatically when he saw tears in his niece's eyes. As a result, Evelyn smiled broadly with glossy eyes.

"Uncle, I don't want anything as a reward. Just save me from my mom. If she finds out about this, she will kill me with her lectures," Evelyn replied, wiping her tears and giving her uncle a side hug.

Meanwhile, DK leaned toward his buddy's right ear and whispered in confusion, his face reflecting his bewilderment, "Ron, what are they doing? Why are they making unwanted jokes during this serious conversation?"

"I think he tried to divert Ms. Taylor's attention from this case, but I don't know why," Ron replied in a low voice, his eyes fixed on them. DK nodded in response and frowned, observing their silly activities.

"Oh dear, you want to send a poor old man into a dangerous tigress's cave? She'll beat me with a frying pan or broomstick if she finds out I gave you permission to complete this risky mission instead of going to college. And if she ever knew you've been taking special karate classes since childhood and that I covered for you, she wouldn't hesitate to shave my head as punishment. Please, show some mercy on this old man and save me from your mother's scolding," Mr. Miller spoke in a dramatic way, causing an evil smirk to appear on the left corner of Ron's lips.

"Sorry to interrupt, Sir, but I'm curious—how could she shave your head when it shines like a diamond? Maybe suggest she shave your eyebrows instead; everyone should have a choice, right?" Ron suggested with an innocent look, causing everyone to burst into laughter except their senior.

"I think you don't need your promotion," Mr. Miller stated, returning an evil smirk.

As a result, in the blink of an eye, Ron widened his eyes in shock, and DK uttered in a stuttered voice, "No, I mean yes, we need our promotions. You moron, keep your mouth shut!" The last sentence came out in an irritated voice, accompanied by a death glare at his roommate.

Ron immediately shifted his gaze to the luxurious ceiling of their room, searching for an invisible spider. "Where did it go? I saw it just a few seconds ago," he said in a fake confused voice, attempting to divert his friend's attention.

Mr. Miller bit his lower lip to control his laughter, while Evelyn watched their drama with curious eyes, trying to discern their natures.

"Good. I've decided that three of you will be transferred to Boston. You'll receive new apartments, cars, credit cards, and a new thrilling serial murder case to solve as a reward. So, get ready; you have to catch the flight tomorrow night," Mr. Miller made the announcement, his demeanor radiating joy and excitement. His juniors were taken aback, mouths agape and eyes widened in surprise. Evelyn, however, stared at her uncle with disappointment written all over her face.

After hearing the news, DK said excitedly, "Thank you so much, Sir, for giving us this huge reward. I promise you that we will work hard and be successful in solving this case too." However, he was forced to shut his mouth when his friend lightly pinched his right arm, signaling him to stop and directing his gaze toward Evelyn.

Mr. Miller noticed their facial expressions and then diverted his gaze to his niece, who was staring at him with pain and disappointment over her uncle's decision.

Mr. Miller was about to say something to her when he was interrupted by his niece's questions.

Evelyn asked him in a low, cracked voice, filled with pain, betrayal, and anger, "How could you do this to me? How could you make such a cruel decision?" Tears once again started to gather in her ocean-like eyes.

"Eve, you caught those culprits, and they will rot in jail for their deeds because we have enough evidence against them. So why don't you want to move on with your life? I gave you the chance to take revenge on those who were responsible for your father's death and to complete your studies at the same time, all without your mother knowing. You mentioned before that you wanted to work as a secret agent in our department after finishing your studies. Granting your wish, I've allowed you to join our department, working alongside the best officers as your colleagues because you passed your final exams. Then why are you angry with me?" Mr. Miller asked her with a serious expression.

"Because they haven't been punished yet. I want to see them rotting in jail with my own eyes. After that, I'll think about what to do with my life. I need to see the pain in their eyes; without witnessing it, I won't find relief even in death," Evelyn's reply came through clenched teeth, her anger apparent.

In response, Mr. Miller uttered Evelyn's name in anger, causing everyone to flinch, including his niece.

"You can't just do whatever you want. Innocent people are dying in Boston because of that serial killer, and here you are arguing with me for no reason, like a child. Tell me, do you want to see more innocent bodies just to satisfy your childish emotions?" Mr. Miller asked her, frustration evident as he looked straight into her eyes.

After hearing that, Evelyn started to fume with anger. As a result, her face, eyes, and ears turned red, and her lips trembled at the same time.

Mr. Miller closed his eyes to control his anger. After a few seconds, he reopened them, ready to speak, but before he could utter a word, Evelyn stood up from her chair, maintaining unbroken eye contact with her uncle. In a swift motion, she grabbed the chair and forcefully hurled it against the wall.

As a result, the chair flew over the heads of her newly declared colleagues and struck the empty wall forcefully. Ron and DK widened their eyes in shock and flinched in sudden fear simultaneously. With scared expressions, they grasped each other's hands, panicking. Without saying a word, she walked out of the room and closed the door harshly behind her.

"What was that? Is she a psycho?" DK whispered to his buddy, his mind filled with confusion and a hint of fear in his heart.

Ron didn't know how to respond. So, he decided to keep his mouth shut and wait for his senior to provide the perfect reply about the unwanted incident.

Mr. Miller released a deep sigh of disappointment and started to rub his temples in frustration. After a few seconds, he lifted his face and saw his juniors staring at him with questioning eyes.

"Are you all right?" Mr. Miller asked them, and they nodded together in reply.

"Don't mind her; she's not rude. It's just that she has anger issues and sometimes acts like a stubborn, immature girl because she can't control her emotions. Besides, I shouted at her for the first time, so she got mad at me and lost control in front of both of you. Don't worry, she's not a psycho." The last sentence he said with a soft chuckle, looking at DK.

"Sir, I didn't say anything about her," DK instantly defended himself in a stuttered voice.

"It's okay, DK. If I were in your situation, I would have thought the same. By the way, I need a favor from both of you," Mr. Miller said, causing Ron to furrow his brow in confusion and DK to sit up straight in his chair.

"I think she went to the rooftop. Please go find her and convince her to come with both of you. We need her for success because the serial killer targets women." he paused to retrieve a pen drive from his coat pocket, then handed it to DK, saying, "This pen drive contains all the information about the case. Please help the innocent people of Boston escape that monster," Mr. Miller spoke with a soft but firm manner.

"Are you saying we're going to use Ms. Taylor as bait in front of that serial killer? It sounds very risky," DK asked, his expression showing disbelief.

"Why?" Mr. Miller asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"Sir, I don't understand how you could consider sending your niece on a mission where her life might be in danger. If I were in your place, I would never think of exposing any of my family members to such risks. I can die for my family, but I can't bear to see them in pain, get hurt, or be put in critical situations," DK's explanation was delivered with a soft seriousness that conveyed his profound affection for his family.

Mr. Miller smiled and said, "I'm very happy to see your concern and love for your family members." Then he shifted his gaze to Ron and asked, "Do you want to say something about this matter?"

"Nothing special, but I agree with DK. Although we won't hesitate to put our lives in danger to save innocent people, we never want to involve our family members in our risky jobs," Ron replied firmly, expressing solidarity with his friend.

"If I say I see all innocent people as my family members, what would your answer be? While my family members' lives are important, what about others? Are you suggesting that because they are not our biological family members, it's acceptable to consider their lives less important?" Mr. Miller's question caused Ron and DK to regret their earlier statement.

"Sir, we don't mean to say that. Everyone's life is equally important to us. She just wanted to see justice for her father's death with her own eyes, so it's natural that she's refusing to go with us," DK's words came out in a hurried manner. Mr. Miller chuckled upon hearing his junior's response.

He asked his juniors, "If I say Evelyn was the one who wanted to solve this case, what would be your answer?"

Both of them replied together in a shocked voice, "What?"

"I knew it from the beginning; she's a psycho. That's why she didn't know what she wanted to do. Only God knows what she'll do if she agrees to come with us. Oh God, please help us with this situation by sending a new female colleague to help solve this case," DK muttered to himself, showing signs of frustration and concern.

"Evelyn wanted to go to Boston two weeks later, after the judiciary trial of the 'Flame' group members. She was upset with me because I wanted to send her there early. I don't want to waste any time, because if we delay, who knows how many lives that monster will take. I couldn't save my brother's life, so I don't want anyone else to lose their loved ones due to our negligence," Mr. Miller said, his voice filled with emotion and regret over his brother's death. His words brought DK back to his senses, and Ron nodded in agreement with his senior.

"I understand, Sir. Don't worry, we will solve this case as soon as possible," Ron replied with a genuine smile, which caused their senior to release a deep sigh of relief.

Then Mr. Miller stood up from his chair and said, "I'm going to arrange all the necessary things we'll need regularly. The food we ordered earlier is already cold, so I'm ordering dinner to be served in an hour. Finish your tasks promptly and meet me back in this room within that time." Mr. Miller's authoritative tone prompted his juniors to nod in agreement with his instructions.

Then he left the room, leaving them alone. Once he was gone, DK turned to his roommate with an irritated expression and said, "Ron, I'm not going to talk to her at any cost. She is so rude and psycho at the same time. I know she has had a tragic past, but it doesn't mean she has the right to show her anger to anybody like this! I mean, what if the chair had hit our heads instead of the wall? Besides that, she didn't feel the need to answer my questions in the club, she didn't miss a chance to make fun of us, and now she doesn't feel the need to apologize to us for her crazy behavior. So, I'm not going to talk to that freak." With the last sentence, he folded his hands across his chest.

Ron rolled his eyes in response and said sarcastically, "Don't try to give me useless excuses. I know you get nervous easily in front of beautiful girls."

"Beautiful! Yeah, you're right, she's a witch with a beautiful face," DK replied in a mocking tone, mixed with several emotions like irritation, anger, and frustration.

"Stop it, DK. Now tell me, what will I get if I go to her?" Ron inquired in a straightforward manner.

"I'll wash all the dishes for the next month," DK gave a clever response.

"No, six months!" Ron demanded, with an evil smirk on the right corner of his lips.

"Fine! I can do anything to stay far away from that freak. So it's a final deal," DK exclaimed. Without wasting a second, he extended his hand toward his roommate for a handshake, a symbol of their unwritten agreement.

Ron grabbed his hand instantly with a wide smile on his face, relieved that he wouldn't have to worry about washing dishes for at least six months. After that, he went to the door and was about to open it, but DK uttered with a mocking tone while laughing, "Best of luck, bro! May God save you from that psycho forever."

Ron gave him a wink in response before leaving the room and closing the door. DK then began to ponder the serial killer's case, examining the contents of the pen drive.

*************=============************

                  BACK TO THE PRESENT

"Why are you giving me that look?" Olivia asked one of the ward boys in a low, shaking voice. Tears started to flow from the corners of her eyes, her chest rose and fell rapidly, and her lips trembled in fear of losing her father forever.

"Please, control your emotions. All we can say is that your father is alive, so think positively and be ready to act like an injured person. We are going to reach there within two minutes," one of the ward boys responded with a pleading expression.

Olivia nodded in reply and closed her eyes. Then she bit her trembling lower lip to prevent her sobs from escaping.

As he had said earlier, the ambulance stopped in front of the C.N. Hospital exactly two minutes later.

Then the boys hurriedly got out of the ambulance and opened the back door to help her out. They placed her on a stretcher and began walking as fast as they could, passing through a crowd of people.

A doctor approached them and, after observing Olivia's condition, said in a concerned voice, 'Oh my God, she's bleeding badly! Quickly take her to O.T. number 6. She's fortunate that Dr. Smith is visiting patients on the same floor. I'll inform him immediately."

"Yes, sir," they replied together, causing a few people, including two nurses, to look at the stretcher with pitiful gazes.

                                  ***

One of the ward boys pressed the elevator button to reach the third floor, where Operating Theatre number 6 was located. After a few seconds, the elevator doors opened, and they entered with the stretcher. As the elevator gate closed, a flurry of questions began to swirl in Olivia's puzzled mind: "Who was that doctor? Who is Dr. Smith? Where are they taking me? Where is my dad? Am I wrong to trust them? But I have no other options except to believe in them. God, please help me, please save my dad!"

She regained her senses upon hearing the elevator doors open. They exited the elevator and turned right. After a brief walk past several nurses, they arrived at O.T. number 6.

One of the ward boys signaled to the other to open the door, which the second ward boy promptly did. After entering, they closed the door behind them. Outside, the light automatically turned red, indicating that the operation was ongoing.

Afterward, a ward boy whispered to Olivia, "Please get up."

She instantly opened her eyes and sat on the stretcher, fake blood dripping from her head to chin, chin to neck, and spreading smoothly across her chest. Then, she began to explore the empty O.T. room with her curious eyes.

"Olivia, Follow me!"

She heard an unfamiliar voice coming from the left side of the room. Turning her head, she saw a middle-aged doctor standing beside a bed hidden by a white curtain.

The doctor called out, "Come here quickly!" showing visible worry, and she acknowledged with a small nod.

Then she got off the stretcher and walked to the bed. However, as the doctor pulled back the curtain, she was about to scream in fear. There, she saw a bloodied, bruised, lifeless body lying on the bed, waiting to greet her.

But Dr. Smith placed his right palm over her mouth to prevent her from suddenly howling and explained in a gentle voice to comfort her, "Don't panic, it's just a dead body. It's part of a backup plan for your safety."

Olivia nodded again, her face filled with fear. Sweat dripped from both sides of her forehead, and her heart beat like a drum.

"Both of you wait here and keep an eye on everything, including the news channels. Don't forget to inform me if anyone suspects us or searches for her," Dr. Smith instructed them in a serious tone after removing his hand from her mouth. They nodded in reply.

He wiped the blood stain from his palm with a wet tissue and said to her, "Come on, let's go see your father." He spoke with an urgent demeanor.

Olivia looked at him with hope in her eyes, and he responded with a reassuring smile. Then, he pressed a secret button hidden behind the bed's wall. This caused the medicine shelf on the left side of the O.T. room to slide to the right, revealing a hidden staircase in front of her.

The stairs led to the upper floor. She followed him in silence, her mind puzzled and her heart trembling with fear.

                                   ***

After climbing eighteen stairs, she reached a door. Dr. Smith gestured for her to open it with his right hand. She opened it with her trembling hand, her heart beating irregularly and her breath heavy. As she opened the door, tears filled her eyes as she finally saw her father.

As a result, a gentle sob escaped her mouth. Tears streamed from both eyes, blurring her vision. Dr. Smith placed his right palm on her left shoulder, offering silent comfort.

"Go and talk to him. He can hear you," he said to her in a soft voice filled with hope for a miracle to happen as she spoke to her father, hoping he might come out of the coma.

Without wasting a second, she ran toward her father's bed, wiping tears with the palms of her hands from her bloodied face.

Dr. Smith sat on a small sofa in the corner of the room, putting earbuds in his ears to watch news updates on his cell phone.

"Dad!" Olivia whispered through tears as she sat on a chair beside the bed, gently holding her father's left hand. She rested her head on the bed beside his hand and began to sob uncontrollably.

She was exhausted by everything that had happened to her in just two days. She thought she could endure the pain when her parents started to despise her for her actions. However, her father's accident shattered her mental strength, turning her into a fragile girl afraid of losing her parents.

At that time, she needed her mother beside her, but she was helpless because her mother lived in another place for some reason.

After some time, she lifted her head and shifted her gaze to her father's face. Then, while staring at him and sobbing, she whispered "Dad, I'm sorry! I lied to you. Please forgive me this time. I can't bear to see you lying on the bed like a statue. Wake up, please. Slap me for my deeds a hundred times, but at least wake up, open your eyes, and scold me. Please don't punish me like this. Mama, where are you? I need you, Dad needs you most. Please come back to me." With that, she rested her head on the bed again and cried her heart out.

                                 ***

At the same time, on R.T.S Road, one of New York City's busiest streets, a red Honda Civic sped dangerously with five passengers aboard. A forty-nine-year-old woman sat in the back, her hands shaking as she held her cell phone, her eyes fixed on the news updates displayed on its screen.

"Ma'am, I think we're going to be stuck in a traffic jam," his manner of speaking showed a sense of urgency.

"Then speed up the car or break the traffic rules—do whatever you think will help us reach C.N. Hospital as soon as possible," the woman replied with a quiet but serious demeanor. The man nodded in response.

After that, she shifted her gaze back to the cell phone screen and whispered with a lot of pain in her voice, "Don't worry, Mama is coming!"

                                ***

At the same moment, DK was busy checking the breaking news on every news channel on the large TV screen in his living room. He sat on a luxurious couch, sipping his favorite black coffee with a pleasant mind and a satisfied smirk on his lips. However, his happiness quickly faded when he saw the latest news.

Breaking News: Olivia Snyder is no more!

"The black SUV that helped the newly declared murderer, Olivia Snyder, escape from the court premises got into a tragic accident on the BRN bridge. The car broke through the bridge's barrier and fell into the river with its passengers.

The police arrived eight minutes after the accident and immediately started the rescue operation. They found the car, but there was no trace of the murderer Olivia Snyder or her accomplice who was driving.

We tried to speak with Mr. Jack Collins, the officer who was talking with the murderer on the court premises and obtained a promise from her to surrender, but he refused to give any statement at this time. However, we will try again to talk with him in hopes of gaining some insight to solve this complicated case," reported Renee Gomez, the ETW news channel reporter, giving a live update from the location.

After hearing the live update, DK was shocked and immediately pulled out his cell phone from his trouser pocket. Without wasting any time, he dialed a number but didn't get an answer. He dialed again and found the number had been switched off.

"What the hell are they doing? They didn't feel the need to inform me that their car got into an accident. On top of that, they are ignoring my calls. Fine, I'll deal with all of you later," DK said, fuming and gritting his teeth in anger.

Then he dialed another number, and after a few seconds, he ordered with a cold, serious demeanor, "Go to C.N Hospital now. Olivia is there. I want her alive because I want to see the pain in her eyes, as well as in her parents' eyes."

After saying that, he hung up the call, a sinister smirk appearing on the left corner of his lips. He murmured to himself, his voice filled with happiness and satisfaction, "Oh dear Olivia, now no one can save you from going to prison."

                                  ***

Meanwhile, Olivia continued to sob, clutching her father's hand. Dr. Smith observed them with sympathetic eyes from his seat on the couch. He had just seen news of the BRN bridge accident on his cell phone, eyes widening in shock. However, he refrained from speaking aloud, not wanting to add to Olivia's worry about Martin.

On the other hand, the two ward boys were watching outside the hospital through the window of O.T. number 6 with their sharp eyes.

All of a sudden, they saw two police vans stop in front of the hospital gate, and six officers, along with two female officers, got out of the vans.

"Shit! They've come to catch her!" one of the ward boys said to the other in a panicked voice.

"We have to inform them!" Saying this, the other ward boy dialed Dr. Smith's number.

Dr. Smith received the call. After hearing the news, he widened his eyes in shock and got up from the couch, visibly tense. Upon ending the call, he faced Olivia, tears streaming down her face, and informed her with evident concern, "Olivia, the police came to arrest you."

She stopped sobbing and instantly lifted her tear-streaked face to look at the doctor with her red, puffy eyes.

"What do you want to do next? We're here to support you," he asked, his genuine concern apparent alongside his nervousness.

"I don't know," she answered in a low, cracked voice, tightly holding her father's hand in fear. She wasn't afraid of going to prison; she was worried about her father, not wanting to leave him alone in that condition.

After hearing her reply, the doctor shook his head and hurried over to her. In a soft yet serious voice, he began to explain their plan to save her. "If you want to escape from here, we can help you. We've arranged for an unidentified body with a bruised face. We can report that you jumped from Martin's car before it reached the bridge, leading to a serious accident where you were hit by our ambulance. Our team rescued you and brought you here, but unfortunately, you were pronounced dead at the scene."

"No, I can't escape my fate, even though I don't want to do anything that would bring further shame upon my parents," Olivia said, wiping her tears. She then got up from the chair and asked the doctor in a concerned voice, "Where is Martin? Why hasn't he arrived yet?

Dr. Smith gulped nervously upon hearing her question. He closed his eyes briefly to gather his thoughts, then opened them and bit his lower lip before finally saying, "His car had an accident on the BRN bridge and fell into the river. I'm afraid he didn't survive."

"What!" Olivia exclaimed, her eyes and mouth wide open in shock. She lost her composure, unable to stand properly. In a blink of an eye, she sat down on the floor, her right palm pressed against her forehead in helplessness.

"He got married just a month ago. What should I say to his wife? How can I face her? He died because of me, sacrificing himself to save my life," she murmured, her voice trembling with panic and laden with guilt.

All of a sudden, Dr. Smith's cell phone started ringing again. He answered the call anxiously and exclaimed, "What!" after hearing the news.

Without wasting a second, he ended the call and grabbed her right arm, trying to help her stand properly. "Olivia, get up and come back to your senses," he urged urgently. "The police have already reached our floor. Tell me which path you want to choose?"

In response, she looked at him with teary, vulnerable eyes. Dr. Smith began shaking her, gently holding her arms to bring her out of her daze.

But before she could gather her senses, the door of the room opened with a creaking sound. Dr. Smith shifted his gaze toward the door, fear evident in his eyes, while Olivia, seated on the floor, stared at it with a pale face and blank emotions.

====================================