Ben parked the car in front of Lucas's apartment building. The place looked quiet, almost too quiet, like the whole street was holding its breath. Ella stepped out slowly, hugging her arms as the cold brushed her skin.
"We should talk calmly," Ella said, mostly to herself.
Ben nodded but looked far from calm. "Yeah. Let's just get this over with."
They walked toward the entrance. The hallway lights buzzed softly, giving everything a dull yellow glow. Ella felt uneasy the moment they stepped inside. Something about the air felt wrong. Heavy.
Lucas's door was at the end of the hall. Ben started walking ahead, but Ella grabbed his hand gently to slow him down.
"No matter what we see, don't jump," she whispered. "Let me lead."
Ben nodded, jaw clenched.
They reached the door.
Ella lifted her hand to knock.
But the door moved.
It wasn't locked.
It wasn't even fully closed.
It was slightly open, like someone left in a hurry… or didn't care to shut it.
Ella froze. "Ben."
"I see it," he muttered.
She pushed the door gently. It swung open with a soft creak.
The room inside was dim, the only light coming from the small lamp near the couch. The place looked messy, as if someone had walked through quickly, grabbing things, dropping things.
Lucas wasn't there.
But the tension in the air was sharp.
Ella stepped inside first. "Lucas? Are you here?"
No reply.
Ben moved behind her, scanning the room. "Something happened here."
Ella noticed Lucas's jacket on the floor. His phone charger stretched across the table. A mug half filled with cold tea. Papers scattered.
But what caught her eye most was a paper on the coffee table. It was placed too neatly compared to everything else.
She walked to it slowly. Ben stayed close.
"Ella?" he asked.
She reached the paper and picked it up.
It was a printed screenshot.
She stared at it for two seconds before the shock hit her.
Her own face.
From months ago.
She was walking into a building. A clinic.
Ben stepped closer. "What is that?"
Ella swallowed. "Someone followed me. Before I met you."
Ben took the paper from her hand. His eyes dropped to the image. His whole expression changed. His breath caught.
"This is the clinic where"
"Yeah," Ella cut in quietly. "Where the pregnancy test happened."
Ben's eyes lifted sharply. "How did Lucas get this?"
Ella shook her head slowly. "I don't know. But it means someone has been tracking me long before I realized."
Ben exhaled, frustrated. "Rita. It has to be."
Ella looked around again, panic creeping up her spine. "But where is Lucas? Did she come here?"
Ben moved toward the bedroom door and pushed it open.
Empty.
He checked the kitchen.
Empty.
Ella felt her chest tighten. "Ben… this is not normal. Lucas would never leave without locking up."
Ben stared at the mess. "This was not just him leaving. Someone wanted him to see that picture. Someone wanted him to react."
Ella's voice dropped. "Do you think she took him?"
Ben didn't answer. His silence said enough.
Ella stepped back toward the living room, hand on her forehead. "This is getting worse. Everything is getting worse."
Ben moved to her side. "We need to call him."
Ella nodded quickly. She pulled out her phone and dialed Lucas's number.
It rang once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then it picked up.
Ella's heart jumped. "Lucas? Lucas, where are you?"
But the voice that replied wasn't Lucas.
It was a woman.
Calm. Smooth. Annoyingly confident.
"Ella," the voice said, "I see you got my message."
Ben's eyes widened. He stepped closer to Ella, listening.
Ella's voice shook slightly. "Rita. What did you do to him?"
A soft laugh came through the phone. "Nothing yet."
Ben whispered, "Put it on speaker."
Ella hit the button.
Rita continued, "Lucas is perfectly fine. For now. But he and I had a needed conversation."
Ella clenched her jaw. "Where is he?"
"Safe," Rita replied casually. "Much safer than he was with you two hiding things."
Ben snapped, "If you touched him"
"Relax," Rita said. "I don't break what is still useful."
Ella's stomach dropped. "What do you want?"
Rita paused for a second. When she spoke again, her tone changed. Less playful. More serious.
"I want the truth. All of it. On my terms. And if you refuse… Lucas will give the world a truth shaped by me."
Ella felt her heart pounding.
Ben looked ready to tear the building apart.
Ella forced her voice to stay steady. "Rita. Just tell me where you are."
Rita chuckled. "You'll find out soon."
The call ended.
Ella lowered the phone slowly, her hand shaking.
Ben spoke first. "She has him."
Ella nodded, her voice barely coming out. "And she wants the truth."
Ben looked at the messy apartment again, eyes dark. "Then we need to find her before she twists everything."
Ella swallowed hard. "Where do we even start?"
Ben turned to her with a steady but dangerous calm. "With the one thing she forgot."
Ella frowned. "What is that?"
Ben picked up the picture from the table again. "Whoever sent her this had to follow you. And whoever followed you… might still be close."
Ella understood instantly.
Someone was watching them.
Right now.