The grand hall slowly emptied.
Guests whispered among themselves as they were escorted out under strict supervision.
What was supposed to be a glamorous night had turned into a mystery no one would forget.
Emily stood beside Alexander, watching the last few people leave.
Her mind was still racing.
"Someone took the DNA samples…" she said softly.
Alexander's jaw tightened.
"And they knew exactly what they were doing."
This wasn't random.
It was planned.
Carefully.
Precisely.
Across the hall, the grandfather stood in deep thought, speaking quietly with the head of security.
Sophia was nowhere to be seen.
And Daniel…
He had disappeared as well.
Emily frowned.
"Where did Daniel go?"
Alexander's eyes darkened.
"He left."
"That's suspicious," Emily said immediately.
Alexander didn't respond, but his silence said enough.
At that moment, one of the security guards rushed toward them.
"Sir."
Alexander turned.
"What is it?"
"We've reviewed part of the surveillance footage."
The tension instantly returned.
"And?" Alexander asked.
The guard hesitated slightly.
"There's something you need to see."
Without wasting another second, Alexander took Emily's hand.
"Come with me."
They followed the guard out of the ballroom and into a private security room.
Multiple screens filled the wall.
Each one showed different areas of the estate.
The guard quickly pulled up a video.
"This was recorded about thirty minutes before the doctor's accident."
The footage began to play.
Emily leaned forward slightly.
At first, everything looked normal.
Staff moving.
Guests walking.
Nothing unusual.
But then—
A figure appeared near the side entrance.
Dressed completely in black.
Face hidden under a cap.
The person moved quickly and carefully, avoiding direct camera angles.
Emily felt her heartbeat increase.
"Who is that?" she whispered.
The guard zoomed in.
The figure was holding something.
A small case.
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
"That's the same type of case used for medical samples."
Emily's breath caught.
"So that's the person who took it…"
The footage continued.
The mysterious figure stopped near the gate.
Then—
Another person approached from the shadows.
Emily froze.
The second person stepped into the light for just a moment.
Long enough to reveal their face.
Emily's eyes widened in shock.
"That's—"
Before she could finish—
The screen suddenly went black.
"What happened?" Alexander demanded.
The guard quickly checked the system.
"The footage… it's been cut."
"Cut?" Alexander's voice turned dangerous.
"Yes, sir. Someone deleted the remaining file."
Silence filled the room.
Emily's hands trembled slightly.
"They don't just want to hide the truth…"
She swallowed.
"They're controlling it."
Alexander's expression hardened.
"No."
He looked directly at the screen.
"They're trying to stay ahead of us."
The guard spoke again.
"There's one more thing."
Alexander turned.
"What?"
The guard pulled up another camera angle.
"This was recorded outside the estate, just before the accident."
The video played.
A black car was parked across the street.
Engine running.
Waiting.
A few seconds later—
The mysterious figure appeared again.
They quickly got into the car.
The vehicle sped off.
Emily stared at the screen.
"That means…"
Alexander finished her sentence.
"They had an escape plan."
Everything had been planned.
From the theft…
To the accident…
To the escape.
This wasn't just someone trying to hide a secret.
This was someone powerful.
Someone prepared.
Emily slowly looked at Alexander.
"What do we do now?"
Alexander's eyes turned cold.
"We find them."
He paused slightly.
"And when we do…"
His voice dropped.
"They'll regret ever coming near you."
But deep down…
Emily couldn't stop thinking about the face she had almost recognized.
Because if she was right—
Then the person behind everything…
Was someone much closer than they expected.