Ryan left the house late in the morning. He did not tell Clara exactly where he was going. He only said he needed fresh air and time to think. Clara did not push him. She already knew his mind was heavy.As Ryan drove, his head was full. Too many thoughts. Too many questions. Too many faces. His father. Adrian. The company. Eric. Clara’s uncle. Everything felt connected, but he could not see the full picture yet.He slowed down the car and parked far from the company building. He did not want anyone to see him enter openly. He wore a cap and glasses, nothing too serious, just enough not to draw attention.He sat in the car for some minutes, watching people go in and out of the building. Workers. Cleaners. Office staff. Security men. Everyone moving like it was a normal day.But Ryan knew it was not normal.Inside that building, something was wrong.He took a deep breath and stepped out.As he walked closer, memories rushed into his head. This was the place he used to follow his fa

Ryan was in the sitting room when his phone rang. He looked at the screen and froze for a secondMumHis heart skipped and he answered immediatelyMumRyan his mother said her voice shaking please come to my house nowRyan stood up at once what happened are you okayI dont know she said please just come I am scaredRyan did not ask anything again I am coming now please lock the door and dont open for anyoneHe dropped the phone and rushed to his room Clara looked up at himWhat is wrong she askedIts my mum Ryan said fast she sounds scared I need to goClara stood up I am coming with youRyan shook his head stay here with Ava I will be back soonClara nodded slowly please be carefulRyan grabbed his keys and leftMrs Knights house was not far as he drove his chest felt tight fear was now always with himWhen he arrived he noticed the gate was closed but not locked wellRyan parked and stepped out slowly looking around everything looked normal too normalMum he called softlyThe door o

The night refused to passIt was like time itself had slowed down inside the house, the walls felt closer, the air heavy, no one truly slept, even when eyes closed the mind stayed awakeRyan sat on the edge of the couch, elbows on his knees, hands locked together, his head down but his ears sharp, every small sound made him lift his headThe ticking of the clock felt louder tick, tick, tickClara lay beside him, her head resting on his thigh, her eyes were closed but she was not sleeping, she could feel the tension in his body, the way his leg kept moving slightly“Ryan,” she whispered softly, “you should rest a little”Ryan shook his head slowly “I can’t, Clara, my mind won’t stop”She opened her eyes and looked up at him “You have been like this since the note”Ryan sighed “That note was not just a warning, it was a promise”Clara sat up properly “A promise of what”“A promise that they are watching us,” Ryan said in a low voice, “and that they will strike again”He stood

The night was heavy, dark, quiet, like it was holding its breath, Ryan sat in his room, the lights dim, staring at the papers on his desk, The files about his father’s company, the plans, the old documents, the notes he had taken, Everything was scattered around him, But his mind was elsewhere, On Clara’s uncle, on Adrian, on the threats, on the note at his mother’s houseClara was already asleep beside him, Her breathing soft, her hand resting lightly on his arm, Ryan looked at her for a moment, then back at the papers, He wanted answers, He wanted to understand who was behind all this, But everything was tangled, complicated, dangerousDownstairs, the house was quiet too, Ava lay in her room, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, Her thoughts went back to Clara’s uncle, The words she had heard on the phone still ringing in her ears, *We will make sure we kill him*, The fear was thick in her chest, but she said nothing, She did not want to scare anyone, She did not want to show wea

The morning was quiet, sunlight spilled into the living room, but inside Ryan’s house, tension was thick, Ryan sat at the table staring at his laptop, his mind was racing, he could not stop thinking about everything that was happening, the kidnappers, Adrian, Clara’s uncle, everything Clara came into the room, her hair messy, still half asleep, she yawned, “Ryan… why are you up so early, you didn’t sleep at all?” Ryan did not look up, his eyes were fixed on the screen, “I can’t, Clara… there is too much to think about, too much to plan, we need to figure out how to handle the company, and the threats, everything…” Clara walked slowly to him, “I know… but you need to rest too, you can’t keep doing this alone, we will figure it out together” Ryan finally looked at her, his eyes heavy, “I know, I know… it’s just, everything is moving fast, I don’t want to lose anyone else, I can’t lose you, or Ava, or my mom…” Clara placed her hand on his shoulder, “We will not let that h