Allen noticed Ethan's gaze locked onto Madison's father.
"Ethan," Allen said, nudging his shoulder.
Ethan looked over, his jaw tense. "Who is that guy?"
Madison followed their line of sight. "He is my father," she said quietly.
Ethan nodded, absorbing the weight of her words. Before he could respond, Madison turned toward the exit. "I should go."
"Yes, that's Mr. Murphy," Allen explained, watching her walk away. "He controls the entire overseas empire and serves as the current chairman." Allen gave Ethan a quick, urgent nod. "I'll be right back." With that, he hurried after Madison.
Left alone, Ethan stared into the space they had occupied, a heavy silence settling over him. Mr. Murphy, he thought, the name tasting bitter.
Nearby, Steve and Victor walked toward the men's training grounds, entirely oblivious to the sudden shift in the air. Then, the atmosphere shattered. Jake materialized directly behind Mr. Murphy. Ethan's eyes widened. Without a second thought, he marched straight toward them.
Catching sight of the approach, Jake placed a hand firmly on Mr. Murphy's shoulder. His eyes locked onto Ethan with cold, lethal intent. Mr. Murphy kept his gaze cast downward.
Ethan stepped directly into Jake's space. "Jake. I need to ask you something."
Mr. Murphy offered a faint, cryptic smile. Without uttering a single word, he stood up and walked away, leaving the two men stranded in their own tension.
"Tell me," Ethan demanded, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "How do you know about the crash?"
Jake stared at him for a few agonizing seconds, a mocking silence stretching between them. "Crush the Three Pillars. Then we will talk."
"What?" Ethan blinked, utterly caught off guard.
But Jake didn't elaborate. He turned on his heel and vanished into the swirling crowd.
"Hey, wait!" Ethan lunged forward to follow, but a wall of security guards stepped into his path, blocking his advance.
Ethan stood frozen, frustration boiling under his skin. Slowly, the shock hardened into cold resolve. He narrowed his eyes. Fine. I'll search for the answers myself.
He pulled out his phone and dialed a familiar number.
"Hey, Ethan," Liam's voice crackled through the receiver, sounding breathless.
"Can we meet?"
"Man, I'm literally heading out on a mission right now," Liam replied, the background noise rushing past him. "I don't even know when I'll be back."
Ethan nodded to the empty air. "Best of luck. Just hit me up as soon as you're done."
"Yeah, definitely. I actually want to meet up to tell you about that thing you asked me before," Liam said, his voice dropping slightly. "Anyway, gotta go. See ya."
The line went dead. Ethan took a deep, steadying breath and checked the time. It was 9:00 AM.
On his way home, Ethan couldn't shake the memory of the look Madison's father had given him. He tried to dismiss the unsettling thought as he unlocked his front door.
Inside, the house was draped in shadow, save for a single lamp casting a warm glow across the living room.
Ethan paused, looking at his mother's bedroom door. He took a step forward, but stopped as a memory flashed in his mind.
The look she gave me when I asked her that question.
She had never looked at him like that before. It was a look of a secret too heavy to share. Maybe this is something best left alone for her sake, Ethan thought.
He swallowed the lump in his throat, turned around, and entered his own room. Falling backward onto his bed, he stared up at the ceiling.
I'm sorry for troubling you, Mom. I won't ask you about it ever again.
"For now, I just need to rest," he murmured to the empty room.
But sleep wouldn't come. Suddenly, thoughts of Connor flooded his mind. Ethan's eyes narrowed in the dark.
Was he telling the truth? He said someone messed with both of our memories... but why would anyone do that?
He turned onto his side, trying to rationalize it.
Yes, I lost my memories for a while, but they came back once I started spending more time with Dad. Even the doctor said it was just a minor issue. Recalling the physician's reassuring words, Ethan finally managed to clear his mind and drift off.
In the dead of night, Ethan thrashed restlessly in his bed. Outside, the weather took a violent turn; wind howled against the glass, and a sudden, jagged bolt of lightning cracked across the sky.
A hand clad in a black glove materialized from the shadows. With meticulous precision, the intruder placed a sealed letter onto the study table. It was positioned at the exact same angle, in the exact same spot, as every mystery letter that had come before it.
Meanwhile,
Madison sat in her quiet living room. The front door clicked open, and Mr. Murphy stepped inside. The stern exterior he held in public melted away into a warm smile when he saw his daughter.
Madison smiled back, feeling a wave of relief.
"How are you, my princess?" Murphy asked, taking a seat in the armchair opposite her. He leaned back, resting his elbows casually on the armrests.
"I'm good," Madison replied.
Murphy nodded affectionately. After a few moments of hesitant silence, Madison spoke up. "Father, how much time will you be spending here?"
Murphy paused, looking thoughtful—or perhaps, playing the part of a man who was thinking. "Who knows? It all depends on work."
Madison nodded, accepting the answer. Suddenly, Murphy's phone vibrated in his pocket. As he pulled it out to check the screen, Madison took a quiet breath, gathering her courage.
"Father, can I ask you something?"
"Of course, why not?" he said, his tone perfectly normal, not looking up from his screen.
Madison locked her eyes onto him, her heart thumping against her ribs. "Father... was there anyone with me when I was little? Specifically, a boy who used to play with me, or look after me?"
Mr. Murphy's hand froze. He slowly lowered the phone and looked up at his daughter. His gaze was entirely calm, and his voice was normal as he spoke...