Lovely stood quietly, her arms crossed as she absorbed everything Roxy had said. The room felt heavy with unspoken tension. Every discovery they had made so far only led to more questions, more uncertainty, and more danger.
But unlike the others, Lovely's expression slowly shifted from concern to resolve.
"I'll get close to Jahnae," she said firmly.
Roxy looked up immediately, his eyes narrowing. "What?"
"I'll approach her," Lovely continued. "Gain her trust. If she's hiding something, I'll find it."
The certainty in her voice left no room for argument.
Roxy shook his head. "No. That's too risky."
Lovely met his gaze without hesitation. "Everything we're doing is risky. But this is the only way we'll get answers without alerting her."
Roxy fell silent.
Deep down, he knew she was right.
Still, something about the idea unsettled him.
Lovely stood quietly, her arms crossed as she absorbed everything Roxy had said. The room felt heavy with unspoken tension. Every discovery they had made so far only led to more questions, more uncertainty, and more danger.
But unlike the others, Lovely's expression slowly shifted from concern to resolve.
"I'll get close to Jahnae," she said firmly.
Roxy looked up immediately, his eyes narrowing. "What?"
"I'll approach her," Lovely continued. "Gain her trust. If she's hiding something, I'll find it."
The certainty in her voice left no room for argument.
Roxy shook his head. "No. That's too risky."
Lovely met his gaze without hesitation. "Everything we're doing is risky. But this is the only way we'll get answers without alerting her."
Roxy fell silent.
Deep down, he knew she was right.
Still, something about the idea unsettled him.
"There's more," Lovely added after a pause. "We also need to look into Kim."
At the mention of his name, the atmosphere in the room shifted slightly.
Roxy's jaw tightened.
"The way he handled the investigation… the evidence… it doesn't sit right," she continued. "Either he's being manipulated, or he's part of something bigger."
Stalin nodded slowly. "We can't trust him completely."
"Exactly," Lovely said. "So tomorrow, I'll gather information about him as well."
She turned toward Tay and Stalin.
"I'll need your help."
Tay gave a short nod, though his expression remained unreadable. Stalin agreed without hesitation.
Despite everything, they were still moving forward.
Together.
As the discussion came to an end, Tay suddenly paused near his car.
"There's something I didn't mention earlier," he said.
Stalin looked at him curiously. "What is it?"
Tay exhaled slowly. "The hospital mentioned in Smily's report… it's the same hospital we're currently dealing with."
Roxy's eyes sharpened instantly.
"And the doctor connected to it," Tay continued, "is a gynecologist named Malee."
Silence followed.
The connection felt too precise to ignore.
Too intentional.
Lovely's expression darkened. "That's not a coincidence."
Roxy nodded slowly. "No… it's not."
For the first time, their scattered clues began forming a clearer path.
Later that evening, Roxy and Lovely returned to her house.
The atmosphere there felt uneasy.
As if someone had been there before them.
"If the syringe was planted here…" Lovely said quietly, "then someone had access to my house."
Roxy moved toward the window, scanning the outside carefully.
"Which means we're being watched," he said.
The realization sent a chill through both of them.
They began searching the house thoroughly—drawers, cabinets, shelves, even the smallest corners. Every detail mattered now.
Every object could be a clue.
Or a warning.
After hours of searching, exhaustion forced them to take a break.
They found themselves sitting in a quiet coffee shop, the soft hum of conversations around them offering a temporary escape from the chaos.
For a moment, everything felt… normal.
Roxy stared at his cup, lost in thought.
"You didn't have to get involved," he said finally.
Lovely looked at him, surprised.
"And let you handle this alone?" she replied with a faint smile. "Not happening."
Roxy exhaled softly, a mix of gratitude and guilt crossing his face.
"This isn't just dangerous," he said. "It's unpredictable. I dragged you into this."
Lovely shook her head. "You didn't drag me. I chose this."
Her voice was calm, but firm.
"And I'm not backing out."
Roxy looked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.
"Just… be careful," he said quietly. "If anything feels wrong, call me immediately."
"I will," she replied.
In that moment, their bond felt stronger than ever.
Not just allies.
But something deeper.
That night, everything began to shift again.
Tay was sitting at the dining table when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, and his expression changed instantly.
"I'll handle it," he said before answering.
His tone was low, serious.
After a brief conversation, he stood up abruptly.
"Where are you going?" his mother asked from the kitchen.
"Just work," Tay replied quickly.
There was impatience in his voice.
Urgency.
Something he couldn't hide.
His mother frowned, sensing something was off, but said nothing further.
Tay grabbed his keys and headed out.
Stalin watched everything silently.
Every movement.
Every word.
Something wasn't right.
And this time, he wasn't going to ignore it.
The moment Tay left, Stalin followed.
Tay drove quickly through the city, heading toward a quieter, more isolated area.
Streetlights became fewer.
The roads grew emptier.
Stalin stayed at a safe distance, careful not to be noticed.
When Tay finally stopped, Stalin hid behind a structure nearby and observed.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
A man wearing a black mask.
Stalin's heart began pounding.
"Did you bring it?" the masked man asked.
Tay didn't respond immediately.
Instead, he handed over a small packet and a bundle of cash.
The exchange was quick.
Silent.
Dangerous.
"Be careful," the masked man said. "Your brother is getting too close."
Stalin felt his chest tighten.
His brother.
They were talking about him.
This wasn't just suspicion anymore.
This was real.
Tay was involved in something far darker than he had imagined.
As the masked man disappeared into the darkness, Tay stood there for a moment before turning back toward his car.
Stalin remained hidden, his thoughts racing.
Drugs.
Money.
Secrets.
And now threats.
Everything was connected.
And at the center of it all…
Was Tay.
For the first time, Stalin felt fear.
Not for himself.
But for what his brother had become.
As Tay drove away, Stalin stayed back for a moment, staring into the darkness where the masked man had vanished.
A single thought echoed in his mind.
"How far has he gone…?"
Unbeknownst to all of them…
The threads they were pulling at…
Were part of something much bigger.
Something far more dangerous.
And once unraveled—
There would be no turning back.