"Where is the child?"
Amara's voice broke through the room like glass shattering.
Her entire body trembled.
Not from fear anymore—
But from something deeper.
Desperation.
The woman in red didn't answer immediately.
She simply watched her.
Calm.
Unmoved.
As if she had been waiting for that exact question.
"That," she said slowly…
"…is the right question."
Amara's hands clenched at her sides.
"This isn't a game," she said, her voice rising. "You don't get to drop something like that and then stand there like—like you're in control!"
"I am in control," the woman replied quietly.
Silence.
David stepped forward instantly.
"No," he said sharply. "You were in control. Not anymore."
The woman's gaze shifted to him.
For a moment…
There was something unreadable in her expression.
Then she smiled.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
The question lingered.
Heavy.
Because deep down…
None of them were sure anymore.
Amara took a step closer, her voice shaking.
"If there's another child," she said…
"I need to know where they are."
The woman studied her carefully.
"You're assuming the child is safe," she said.
Amara's breath caught.
"What does that mean?" she whispered.
The woman didn't answer.
And that silence…
Was enough.
David's expression darkened instantly.
"Stop," he said. "Stop with the half-truths. If there's a child, you tell us where they are. Now."
The woman looked at him.
This time…
There was no smile.
"Why?" she asked.
The question caught him off guard.
"What do you mean, why?" he said.
"Why should I tell you?" she repeated.
Silence.
David stepped closer.
"Because whatever this is, it's gone too far," he said. "This isn't just about you anymore."
The woman let out a soft breath.
"It was never just about me," she said.
Amara felt the tension tightening again.
"Then who is it about?" she asked.
The woman's gaze shifted between them.
Then—
"It's about consequences."
The word landed heavily.
Amara shook her head.
"No," she said. "You don't get to talk about consequences when you're the one doing this."
The woman's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You think I started this?" she asked quietly.
Amara didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
A pause.
Then—
"You're wrong."
Silence.
David frowned.
"Then who did?" he asked.
The woman held his gaze.
"The same people who drugged you," she said.
Amara felt her chest tighten.
"The same people who set up the cameras," she added.
Her voice dropped slightly.
"The same people who moved you that night."
David's jaw clenched.
"And where are they now?" he asked.
The woman's lips curved faintly.
"Still watching," she said.
A chill swept through the room.
Amara instinctively looked around.
As if expecting to find hidden eyes.
Hidden cameras.
Hidden truth.
"This is insane," she whispered.
"No," the woman replied calmly.
"This is unfinished."
David ran a hand through his hair again, frustration and tension building.
"Then finish it," he said. "Tell us where the child is."
The woman was quiet for a moment.
Then she said—
"You've already seen them."
Silence.
Amara froze.
"What?" she whispered.
The woman's gaze locked onto hers.
"You just didn't know it," she added.
Amara's mind raced instantly.
Faces.
Places.
Moments.
Nothing made sense.
"That's not possible," she said. "I would know."
"Would you?" the woman asked softly.
Amara's chest tightened.
Because now…
She wasn't so sure.
David stepped forward again.
"Enough riddles," he said. "Where. Is. The child?"
The woman looked at him.
Then said slowly—
"The child is closer than you think."
Silence.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
Amara's heart pounded louder.
"What does that mean?" she asked.
The woman didn't answer directly.
Instead, she reached into her bag again.
Both of them tensed instantly.
Slowly…
She pulled out another phone.
Different from the first.
She tapped the screen once.
Then held it up.
Amara's breath caught.
Because this time—
It wasn't an old video.
It was live.
A child.
Sitting quietly in a room.
Drawing.
Unaware.
Unbothered.
Innocent.
Amara's heart shattered.
"Who… is that?" she whispered.
The woman's voice dropped.
"That," she said…
"…is what you've both been looking for."
David's eyes locked onto the screen.
His expression slowly shifting.
Not just confusion anymore.
Recognition.
And something else.
Fear.
"Why does that child look like…" he began.
But he couldn't finish.
Because the truth was already there.
Right in front of them.
And it was only getting worse.