"Something is terribly wrong with this place."
Ava slipped the ring into her pocket, her fingers tightening around it.
Too many coincidences.
The missing CEOs.
The buried bone.
The identical ring.
None of it could simply be chance.
"I'll uncover the truth, Mr. Rhea," she whispered. "No matter how carefully you bury it."
Carefully retracing her steps, she returned to the mansion.
The corridors remained silent.
Nothing had changed.
It was as if the mansion hadn't noticed she had ever left.
Relieved, Ava quietly entered her guest room and locked the door behind her.
Only then did she release the breath she had been holding.
Her heart still pounded.
She sat on the edge of the bed and took the ring from her pocket, turning it over in the dim light.
There had to be an explanation.
Opening her MacBook, she searched every article she could find about the missing businessman.
Halfway through one report, something caught her attention.
He wasn't the only victim.
He was the tenth prominent businessman to disappear.
Every disappearance had occurred within five kilometers of Juvine Hills.
Her pulse quickened.
"This can't be a coincidence."
A knock interrupted her thoughts.
Three gentle taps.
Her heart skipped.
Please don't let it be Alexander...
She slowly opened the door.
The maid stood outside.
"Mr. Rhea would like to see you in the study."
"At this hour?"
The maid simply lowered her head.
No explanation.
Only silence.
Ava followed the dimly lit corridor toward the study.
Alexander Rhea already stood beside the window, his back turned to her.
Without looking around, he spoke.
"Ms. Harris..."
His voice was calm.
"So you enjoy mysteries."
He slowly turned to face her.
His gray eyes seemed almost amused.
Ava met his gaze.
"Everyone is fascinated by mysteries..."
She paused.
"Especially those who create them."
A faint smile crossed Alexander's face.
"You've entered a maze."
He stepped closer.
"Not everyone finds their way out."
Ava forced herself to stand her ground despite the fear tightening inside her chest.
"Every maze has an exit, Mr. Rhea."
"My job is to find it."
For a brief moment...
Silence.
Then Alexander smiled.
"So..."
"You've already begun sneaking around."
Without another word, he walked toward the doorway.
Ava frowned.
"What do you mean?"
He stopped.
Without turning around, he pointed toward the floor.
"Some paths leave footprints."
Ava looked down.
Muddy footprints stretched across the polished wooden floor.
Her heart sank.
She hadn't noticed.
Alexander finally turned.
His expression remained unreadable.
"Death seems to have followed you for quite some time, hasn't it?"
He watched her reaction carefully.
"Your parents..."
"The accident wasn't easy to survive."
Ava froze.
"...How do you know about my parents?"
"I have my ways."
His voice remained unsettlingly calm.
"I can learn far more than most people imagine."
He took another step closer.
"But there are thresholds no one should cross."
"For their own good."
The final sentence sounded less like advice...
And more like a warning.
"I trust I won't find you wandering again."
"We'll conclude the interview soon."
He walked away.
His footsteps gradually disappeared into the silence.
Only after she was certain he had left did Ava release a shaky breath.
Her eyes drifted toward the towering bookshelf.
Something felt...
Off.
She placed both hands against it and pushed.
It shifted.
Barely.
Her eyes widened.
She gripped one side and slowly twisted it.
With a faint mechanical click, the bookshelf rotated inward.
Behind it—
A steel door.
Locked.
"A password..."
She whispered.
"What are you hiding?"
"Ms. Harris?"
Alexander's voice echoed through the mansion.
She flinched.
Quickly pushing the bookshelf back into place, Ava composed herself before stepping into the hallway.
Alexander stood waiting.
Watching.
Without saying another word, she returned to her room and locked the door.
Elsewhere...
Alexander climbed the staircase to the master bedroom.
The room was cloaked in deep burgundy, illuminated only by a dim bedside lamp.
He crossed to an old wooden cabinet and entered the code.
5973.
The lock clicked open.
Inside was another hidden door.
Alexander stepped into the small room beyond.
It was strangely ordinary.
Cream-colored curtains.
A neatly made bed.
A wooden dresser.
A life that seemed to belong to someone else.
On the far wall hung dozens of photographs, newspaper clippings, and handwritten notes connected by crimson threads.
Alexander studied them quietly.
Then smiled.
"So..."
He murmured.
"Where should she end up?"
His finger slowly traced the tangled web before stopping at its center.
"Right here."
He smiled.
"Exactly where the maze was designed to lead."