He Hid Me. His Rival Married Me.

The Little Witness

"...You're next."

The little girl's trembling voice echoed through the bedroom.

A heavy silence followed.

Isabella knelt in front of her.

"Sweetheart..."

"What's your name?"

The little girl tightened her grip on the teddy bear.

"...Lily."

"How old are you, Lily?"

"I'm six."

Her tiny voice quivered.

Damien crouched beside Isabella.

His tone became unusually gentle.

"Can you tell us where your mommy is?"

Lily nodded through her tears.

"They took her."

"They said Mommy talked too much."

Isabella and Damien exchanged a look.

Dr. Vanessa hadn't disappeared.

She had been kidnapped.

"Lily..."

Isabella asked softly.

"Did you see who took her?"

The child closed her eyes, trying to remember.

"There were three men."

"They wore black."

"One had a scar..."

"...here."

She pointed to her left cheek.

Lucas immediately wrote everything down.

"Anything else?"

Lily hesitated.

"One lady came too."

Everyone froze.

"A lady?"

She nodded.

"She smelled like flowers."

"And..."

Lily looked directly at Isabella.

"She was wearing a pretty silver rose."

The room fell silent.

The rose again.

Damien's expression darkened.

This wasn't a coincidence anymore.

Someone was deliberately leaving traces behind...

Or believed they would never be caught.

...

Meanwhile...

Inside an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city...

Dr. Vanessa Cole sat tied to a chair.

Blood trickled from the corner of her lip.

The warehouse door creaked open.

High heels clicked against the concrete floor.

Click...

Click...

Click...

A woman stepped into the dim light.

Her face remained hidden beneath the shadow of a wide-brimmed hat.

Only one thing caught the light.

The silver rose brooch.

Vanessa looked up in terror.

"I kept my promise."

"I never told anyone your name."

The woman smiled.

"I know."

"Then..."

"...why am I here?"

The woman slowly removed a pair of black leather gloves.

"Because promises..."

"...don't erase witnesses."

Vanessa's face turned white.

"No..."

"Please..."

"I have a daughter."

The woman stopped beside her.

"I know."

"And that's exactly why..."

"...you should have stayed silent."

...

Back at Blackstone International...

Lily had finally fallen asleep on the sofa.

She still refused to let go of Isabella's hand.

Damien watched the scene quietly.

Lucas entered carrying a tablet.

"Mr. Black."

"Our investigators identified the scar."

Damien looked up.

"Go on."

"The man matches Victor Kane."

"A former security contractor."

"He disappeared from public records four years ago."

Lucas swiped to the next file.

"He now works for a private employer."

"Who?"

Lucas hesitated.

"We don't know."

"But..."

"We traced his financial records."

"The payments came from shell companies."

Damien narrowed his eyes.

"Owned by?"

Lucas looked uncomfortable.

"The trail ends at..."

"...Knight Group."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Isabella slowly stood.

"No."

"It can't be."

Lucas quickly added,

"The money passed through Knight Group accounts."

"It doesn't necessarily mean someone inside ordered it."

Damien didn't speak.

He simply picked up his phone.

"Arrange a meeting with Adrian."

Lucas blinked.

"Tonight?"

"Now."

"If someone used Knight Group to hide these payments..."

"Adrian deserves the chance to explain."

...

Thirty minutes later...

Adrian arrived at Blackstone International.

For the first time...

He entered his rival's headquarters.

Not as an enemy.

But as a man searching for answers.

He walked into the conference room.

His eyes immediately found Isabella.

She looked exhausted.

Before he could speak...

Damien slid a file across the table.

"Read it."

Adrian opened the file.

His expression changed page by page.

Hospital records.

The surveillance video.

Victor Kane's financial trail.

Finally...

The payment records.

His breathing became uneven.

"This account..."

Damien folded his arms.

"You recognize it."

Adrian nodded slowly.

"Yes."

"It belonged..."

"...to my late father's private office."

Everyone stared at him.

Adrian's voice grew quieter.

"My father controlled this account before he died."

"No one has accessed it in years."

Lucas frowned.

"That's impossible."

"The latest payment was made..."

"...just three weeks ago."

Adrian's head snapped up.

"What?"

Lucas pointed to the transaction date.

"The account is still active."

Silence.

Adrian slowly looked at Isabella.

Then at Damien.

His face turned pale.

Only three people had ever been authorized to use that account.

His father...

Himself...

And—

Before he could say the third name...

His phone rang.

The caller ID made his blood run cold.

Private Number.

He answered.

"Who is this?"

A calm female voice laughed softly.

"So..."

"You've finally started asking the right questions."

Adrian shot to his feet.

"Who are you?"

The woman ignored the question.

Instead, she said something that made everyone in the room freeze.

"If you want to see Dr. Vanessa alive..."

"...bring Isabella to me."

The line went dead.

Adrian lowered the phone slowly.

His face had turned completely white.

Damien took one step forward.

"What did she say?"

Adrian looked at Isabella.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"She doesn't want money..."

"...she wants you."