"Hello, daughter."
I stopped breathing.
The man stood at the top of the stairs, surrounded by darkness and the chaos of people moving behind him.
But I saw only his face.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
Terrifyingly familiar.
Richard.
The man I had called my father for most of my childhood.
The man I had believed abandoned us.
The man my mother had spent years trying to keep away from me.
He was alive.
And he was looking at me as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.
"Dad?"
The word escaped me before I could stop it.
His smile widened.
"Yes."
My body went cold.
Malik pulled me backward.
"Don't go near him."
Richard's eyes moved toward Malik.
"So you're still protecting her."
Malik's expression hardened.
"I always will."
Richard laughed softly.
"You've always been loyal."
Then he looked at Daniel, who was still struggling with one of the men.
"Unlike my son."
I froze.
"Your son?"
Richard looked at Daniel.
Daniel stopped fighting.
His face had gone pale.
"What did you just say?"
Richard smiled.
"You heard me."
Daniel slowly looked at him.
"You're lying."
"No."
Richard stepped forward.
"I am your father."
The entire world seemed to stop.
Daniel stared at him.
"No…"
Richard continued.
"You spent years believing you were protecting Lina from me."
Daniel's breathing became heavy.
"But you were protecting her from yourself."
Daniel shook his head.
"I don't believe you."
Richard's eyes darkened.
"You should."
I looked at Daniel.
He looked completely broken.
"Daniel…"
He turned toward me.
"I didn't know."
"I know."
"I swear I didn't know."
I believed him.
For the first time, I truly believed him.
Richard watched us.
"How touching."
Malik stepped forward.
"Enough."
Richard's attention shifted to him.
"You're very brave."
"I'm not afraid of you."
Richard smiled.
"You should be."
He lifted his hand.
Two men immediately moved toward us.
Malik grabbed my hand.
"Run."
We turned.
But another man blocked the exit.
There was nowhere to go.
Richard walked down the stairs slowly.
"Lina, you have something that belongs to me."
I frowned.
"What?"
"The evidence."
I tightened my grip around the flash drive.
Richard noticed.
"There it is."
Malik stepped in front of me.
Richard sighed.
"You really make this difficult."
"Stay away from her."
Richard looked at Malik.
"You don't understand what she is."
I frowned.
"What am I?"
Richard's eyes returned to me.
"My daughter."
"You're not my father."
His smile disappeared.
"Biologically, perhaps not."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
Richard continued walking.
"But I raised you."
"You didn't raise me."
"I gave you a name."
"You lied to me."
"I protected you."
"You tried to kill me!"
His expression hardened.
"That wasn't my intention."
I laughed bitterly.
"You ordered the attack."
"I ordered your disappearance."
"What's the difference?"
"I never ordered anyone to kill you."
I stared at him.
"Then why did Samuel die?"
Richard's face changed.
For the first time, I saw anger.
"Samuel betrayed me."
"He was my father."
"He was a fool."
"He loved me."
Richard laughed.
"He barely knew you."
My heart broke.
"He tried to find me."
"Yes."
"Because I was his daughter."
Richard's eyes narrowed.
"And that was the problem."
Silence.
I finally understood.
Richard hadn't hated me because I was his daughter.
He hated me because I was Samuel's daughter.
"You were jealous of him."
"I was protecting my family."
"You murdered him."
"I didn't."
"Then who did?"
Richard looked toward Daniel.
Daniel's face went pale.
Richard smiled.
"Your precious Daniel."
Daniel shook his head.
"No."
"You pulled the trigger."
"I didn't know who he was."
"But you did it."
Daniel looked at me.
Tears filled his eyes.
"I didn't know."
Richard laughed.
"And that's why I kept you alive."
Daniel stared at him.
"You manipulated me."
"Yes."
"You made me believe I killed Samuel."
"Yes."
"You destroyed my life."
Richard shrugged.
"You survived."
Daniel lunged toward him.
The men grabbed Daniel before he could reach him.
"Let him go!"
I screamed.
Richard looked at me.
"See?"
He smiled.
"This is why I needed you to remember."
I felt a chill.
"Why?"
"Because Daniel isn't the only one who has been manipulated."
I stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
Richard looked at Malik.
Then at me.
"Ask Malik what happened after the warehouse."
My stomach dropped.
I turned toward Malik.
"What is he talking about?"
Malik said nothing.
"Malik?"
Richard smiled.
"He never told you."
"Told me what?"
"That after he carried you out that night…"
Richard paused.
"He brought you to the wrong person."
My heart stopped.
"No."
Malik closed his eyes.
"Lina…"
"You brought me to someone?"
"I was trying to save you."
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
Richard did.
"Your mother."
I frowned.
"But that's where you said you took me."
"Yes."
Richard smiled.
"But she wasn't there."
I stared at Malik.
"You lied."
"I had to."
"Why?"
"Because your mother wasn't the person waiting for you."
I felt dizzy.
"Then who was?"
Malik looked at Richard.
Richard's smile returned.
"Me."
Silence.
"You brought me to him?"
Malik shook his head.
"No."
Richard's eyes darkened.
"Because someone else intercepted him."
I stared at them.
"Who?"
Nobody answered.
Then a familiar voice came from behind me.
"I did."
I slowly turned.
Elena stood in the doorway.
Her eyes were filled with tears.
And behind her stood my mother.
Alive.
My heart stopped.
"Mom?"
She looked at me.
"Lina…"
I ran toward her.
But before I could reach her, she whispered,
"Don't come closer."
I stopped.
"Why?"
She looked at Richard.
Then at me.
"Because he isn't the only person you should be afraid of."
My mother pointed at Malik.
"He is."
I stared at Malik.
He looked devastated.
And suddenly, I didn't know which of them was telling the truth.