Chapter [X]: Between Sleep and Wakefulness

The Shock

She had no time to process the shock. The ambulance had already arrived, and paramedics carefully lifted him onto a stretcher. Just before the ambulance doors slammed shut, a faint, trembling voice reached Sarab’s ears—a whisper brittle with fear: "Sa... Sarab... Your father... Beware..."Those were his final words before his life slipped away.He died in a mysterious hit-and-run. For an entire week, the police conducted intensive investigations, but they found absolutely nothing—no trace of the driver, and not a single clue about the car that had struck him.Meanwhile, Sarab sat isolated at home, staring with a broken heart at a photograph of her beloved father. The boy’s dying words echoed relentlessly in her mind: “Sarab... Your father... Beware...”Every time the memory flashed, tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. She sat curled up on the cold floor, her face pale, her eyes bloodshot from endless sleepless nights and weeping. A whole week had passed without her tasting a single bite of food. She was trapped in a devastating loop: sitting, overthinking, and crying.On the other side of the city, inside a grand mansion, sat a man in his forties. He was dressed in a sleek black suit and polished black shoes. Lounging in his luxurious chair with ice-cold expressions, he barked, "How much of the merchandise did you sell?""I'm sorry, sir," his henchman stuttered, trembling with fear. "We couldn't sell anything. The police raided us completely... I am so sorry.""Fools! You are all useless fools!" the man bellowed. "What about the girl? Any news?""We found her, sir," the henchman quickly replied. "She lives in a modest house, and it seems she’s currently going through a terrible breakdown after what happened to the boy."A sinister, mocking smirk carved its way onto the man’s face. He let out a dark, cruel laugh and whispered, "Is that so? Perfect. It’s finally time to end her suspense."... To be continued.